Broken Promises
by Emri
Summary: When their parents divorced, the Evans triplets were split up. Lucy went with Judy, Sam and Brittany stayed with Dwight. Now ten years later Lucy has come back to Lima but she is not the girl they once knew and with the pain of her broken promises still fresh, can Sam and Brittany forgive their sister? Especially when evil follows Lucy back home and puts them all in danger?
1. Welcome To Lima

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter One

* * *

The sun had just started to peek over the mountains as the black SUV passed a sign which heralded their entrance into Lima, Ohio for the first time in 10 years. The two occupants sat in an uncomfortable silence as they sped down the practically empty road that passed as a high street and then beat the familiar path to a place they had both once called home.

The weak sun was shining clearly by the time they pulled up outside their destination and the older companion made sure to park a good distance from the house so that there was no chance that she would have to see any of the occupants.

They both got out of the car and pulled three suitcases and a backpack from the back of the car and stood a few feet apart on the side walk with the luggage in between them as they attempted to say goodbye.

"Well goodbye Quinn. Be good." The older woman tried to say the last part in a joking tone but it was too obvious that she dead serious and her tone just came across as patronizing.

"Goodbye Judy." Quinn said in a monotone voice as she gathered her bags into her arms and didn't bother to make eye contact with her mother. Silence stretched between them for a few moments as each woman was lost in her own thoughts.

"Quinn..." Judy started but couldn't quite seem to find the words she wanted to say. Quinn had managed to get all of her bags into her hands and on her shoulders when she heard her mother speak and turned as she was about to walk away. Her eyes were pleading with the blonde woman to do anything to make the situation right but Judy couldn't do it. She couldn't take Quinn back to Cleveland with her as much as she wanted to. She knew that Quinn just thought that she didn't want her any more but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"I love you sweetheart." Judy whispered into the fresh and still morning air. It was a tender moment but it wasn't what Quinn had wanted her to say and so she turned and walked towards her new home, not bothering to turn back as she addressed her mother for the final time.

"Don't bother to contact me Judy." As her pink haired daughter turned a corner and disappeared from her sight she let a solitary tear slide down her cheek at the thought that she was alone now and Quinn didn't even seem to understand the sacrifice she was making in order to help her daughter become a better person.

"I really am sorry Lucy." Judy spoke her feelings clearly for the first time since they had left Lima 10 years ago but there was nobody on the quiet streets to hear her and her daughter was long gone.

* * *

Rachel Berry had never really been a popular person but being popular had never mattered that much to her. She was a part of the glee club which of course meant she should be tortured like a loser however the presence of her best friends meant that she had only felt the cold sting of a slushie once in her high school life.

Sam Evans was the Quarterback of McKinley High which automatically made him one of the most popular guys in school and he was also one of Rachel's best friend. When they had met at the start of Freshman year, they were only a few minutes into their conversation when one of Sam's new team-mates decided to give Rachel her very first slushie facial.

Rachel had ran towards the bathrooms crying with Sam running after her and when he realised he couldn't follow her into the girl's bathroom he decided instead to go and chase down the guy who had caused her pain.

That was the first and only time Rachel had been subject to the same treatment as the 'losers' and it was one of the many reasons that she was glad to have Sam in her life. Many people had speculated that they were dating but the very thought always made both of them feel slightly sick as they thought of each other as brother and sister. The rumours finally died when Sam started dating Mercedes Jones, one of Rachel's fellow glee clubbers.

Another reason that she was grateful for Sam was because he had a twin sister who had immediately accepted her and had acted to protect her from the first moment they met. Brittany Evans was a cheerleader and as soon as Sam had brought Rachel home after school on the first day, she automatically accepted her into the family and they had become best friends as well.

Without the Evans' twins, she knew that her high school life would be a lot different so she just appreciated them even more. She had never had best friends before them and she couldn't imagine being without them.

That was why it worried her so much when Sam and Brittany pulled up in Sam's car the first morning of school of Junior year and Sam stayed in the car instead of coming into the house to get his traditional raspberry vegan muffin off Hiram. Hiram had always said that he needed to eat more because Sam was surprisingly sensitive about his weight and would sometimes eat very little.

Hiram had thought that that had been the problem and so had come out to drag Sam into the house with the two girls and he had politely declined until Hiram made him feel so guilty that he couldn't refuse the older man.

Brittany had agreed to come in and was of course munching on her muffin when Hiram and Sam came in but the brightness in her eyes was dulled slightly and Sam's eyes were the same. Rachel was immediately worried.

Brittany, after a few minutes talking with Hiram, brightened back into her normal self but Sam didn't seem to come out of his depression and only nibbled at the muffin. She stared at him in confusion hoping to understand what was wrong and Brittany saw where he brunette was looking and when she noticed her brother she walked over and wrapped Sam in a hug which he returned in earnest.

It worried the two brunettes in the room as Sam usually wasn't a very touchy feely person but obviously needed the comfort that morning. Brittany leant down and whispered something indistinguishable in his ear which made him chuckle lightly and mumble, "I know Britt."

The mood eased slightly after that but there was still tension surrounding them as they bid Hiram goodbye and then drove off to pick up Santana, Brittany's girlfriend and then went to school. Both Rachel and Santana were more than grateful to get out of the car when they parked in the McKinley car park as both of the twins had grown sullen over the ride making conversation virtually impossible.

The two blondes and Santana automatically walked over to the fields to start their respective practices with a quick wave goodbye and Rachel walked into the school to the choir room so that she could get some singing practice in. Seeing as if she wanted a ride to school, she would have to come in early, it made sense to her to utilise the time.

After a full hour of staring at her sheet music and neglecting singing as her mind kept slipping to her friends, Rachel realised that the bell for the first lesson of the year was about to go and went to her locker to receive the appropriate things that she would need.

"What's up Rach?" Brittany said as she wrapped the smaller girl in a hug from behind as she stood at her locker. She breathed in the comforting scent of Brittany's shampoo as the girl had clearly just showered after her practice and turned to face the girl who was looking like her old self again.

"Nothing, I am just excited to start a fresh year of learning. How about you?" Rachel asked with a genuine smile as she unloaded a stack of pads of paper into her locker that she had bought for the new year.

"I'm good, I'm just wondering why Finn is glaring at you?" Brittany asked in an innocent voice and glancing over her shoulder at Finn who was stood at his locker at the end of the hall, shooting harsh glances her way.

Rachel took a quick glance in the same direction and tried not to groan in exasperation at the wounded looks that were being sent her way. Finn was like a spoilt child who sulked when they didn't get their way when he was upset.

"Because Britt, he asked me out last night and I refused him." Rachel said as she closed her locker and started to walk to her first class which she shared with Brittany.

"How come? I thought you liked him for some reason." Brittany asked with a puzzled look as they slipped into a joined desk at the back of the science classroom.

"I enjoy duetting with him as he has an abundance of leading man material however outside of performances he is very emotionally childlike and I am admittedly high maintenance. For the moment I am content to remain single until I find an appropriate partner who is equal to my standards and can fulfil my physical and emotional needs." Rachel explained to a blank faced Brittany.

All of what Rachel had said to Brittany had been true because Finn was very self centred however there was another more prominent reason why she didn't want to be with Finn.

Although from the knowing looks Brittany would sometimes shoot at her when she caught Rachel looking at the cheerleaders for too long, Rachel was fairly sure that Brittany knew her secret. She was gay. Not that Brittany would have held it against her because she was gay as well but Rachel didn't want her secret to become public information just yet.

"Yeah, I didn't understand much of that except that Finn is a douche so I'm glad you don't like him any more." Brittany said just as the teacher came in to start the lesson.

"I never had an interest in him romantically..." Rachel started to explain in a whisper as the lesson had started but Brittany had already started doodling cats in her notebook, which in her own way meant that she was taking notes so Rachel gave up on the conversation with a huff.

The lesson consisted of going over the part of the curriculum from last year that they would need for this year and so was a relatively easy lesson for Rachel. It gave her time to think and her mind wandered back to how Sam had behaved that morning and it was really worrying to see the usually happy and bubbly boy looking so depressed. She was worried about Brittany as well but as the girl seemed to be fine and acting naturally she thought it was best if she try to help Sam first.

She was about to ask Brittany about it just as the bell rang and Brittany sprang from her chair, clearly desperate to leave the room as she had obviously found the lesson much harder than Rachel had.

"I'll see you at lunch Rach." Brittany called over her shoulder as she quickly walked out of the class in an attempt to put some distance between herself and the confusing subject. Either that or she was desperate to meet up with Santana and have a quick make out session before the next lesson.

As Rachel didn't share any more classes with Brittany or with Sam until lunch she patiently waited for her opportunity to ask about it. She hoped that it would be an easy wait, unfortunately her next class was shared with both Santana and Finn and she couldn't help but groan in frustration.

It wasn't that she didn't like Santana it was just that she wasn't keen on being in her company without Brittany as a barrier. Unfortunately, due to being lost in thought, she arrived at the classroom just before the bell and had to chose between the only two chairs available.

One next to Santana and one next to Finn. Of course she chose not to see that as a foreboding sign for the rest of the school year and chose to sit next to Santana as she didn't want to hear Finn whining for every Maths lesson until the end of the year.

"S'up man hands?" Santana asked as Rachel took her seat.

Santana's voice contained no malice and so Rachel chose to ignore the derogatory name and replied, "I am doing very well Santana and yourself?"

"You use too many words dwarf." Santana stated, leaning back in her chair until she wasn't in Rachel's direct line of sight.

She turned her head to look at the grinning Latina and scolded, "That is rather off putting, if you could please desist in that potentially dangerous activity..."

"I can do what I want." Santana interrupted with a smirk that promptly fell off her face when Rachel finished her sentence.

"...or I will tell Brittany." It was Rachel's turn to smirk as Santana's front chair legs hit the ground with a thump.

"Well played Berry."

* * *

Neither Sam or Brittany were sat at their regular lunch table and Rachel was left to sit with some of the other glee kids. It wasn't unusual for Brittany to be distracted at lunch times and as Santana was missing from the table, it was obvious where the tall blonde was or at least, who she was with. It was very unlike Sam to just drop off the radar however and Rachel was worried about the boy who was like a brother to her.

After only a few minutes of listening to Kurt and Mercedes argue over who could sing a particular song better she decided that she needed to look for Sam or she was going to give herself a stress induced heart attack.

At first she tried the football field, wondering if he had some extra practising to do, but the field was empty except for a couple of kids dressed in black, sat in the middle of the grass and passing something in between them. Rachel hurried away before she was caught up in any potentially illegal activities.

She then tried the McKinley gym which was reserved exclusively for the football team, with the Cheerio's getting a much better gym to themselves courtesy of their Coach and the other athletic teams not being deemed important enough to need a gym.

As soon as she pushed the door open into the disgusting smelling room, she caught sight of a blonde head lifting weights just behind a large piece of machinery that looked like it could be used for torture.

He looked up as she came in and as soon as he realised it was Rachel, he rested the weights back into position and sat up on the bench. She had the determined look in her eye that told him that she wanted to talk and he wouldn't be able to do any more exercising until she was done.

Rachel took a seat on a metal bench a little way across from him and stared into the hazel eyes that were so familiar to her, wondering how to phrase her question. She decided to go for simplicity and simply asked, "What's bothering you Sam?"

He automatically looked uncomfortable at the question and started shifting and not meeting her eyes. He loved Rachel almost as much as he loved Brittany, she was like his second little sister but this was an issue that he just didn't want to talk about.

"Rachel, I can't..." He trailed off unsurely and Rachel scooted forward on her bench until she could reach his hands which she wrapped in her own. She forced him to make eye contact with her so that when she spoke, he could see the sincerity of her words.

"Sam, you know you can talk to me? I'll always be here for you just please let me help you?" He knew he couldn't keep his feelings to himself much longer, especially as by tomorrow the problem would be unavoidable but he didn't really understand his own emotions enough yet to talk about them.

"Tomorrow morning in school you will see what my problem is." Sam said with harshness in his voice but Rachel could tell that it wasn't directed at her but at whatever was upsetting the blonde haired boy.

She simply nodded her head in response and watched him sadly for a few moments as he went back to lifting weights before she silently left. She was sad that he didn't want to open up to her just yet but no matter how long it took she was determined to support him. That is what family is for.

* * *

Glee club after school that day was difficult for a number of reasons and the majority of those reasons, Rachel didn't understand. At first.

One thing that Rachel really didn't like the look of was the huge, dopey grin on Finn's face when he walked into the choir room or that the grin was directed at her. It felt ominous. The second thing was when Sam walked into the room and completely ignored Mercedes choosing instead to sit on a stool next to the chronically silent band and pluck sadly at an acoustic guitar until Mr Schue came in.

It was so out of character, even if he was upset over something, for him to ignore his girlfriend and Mercedes sat in the corner of the room, sending Sam wounded looks.

What was even stranger was that Brittany was looking at him understandingly and with a wisdom gleaming in her eyes that was so unusual for Brittany to have. All of it was making the tiny brunette's mind spin a mile a minute.

At least she discovered the answer to one of the weird things going on when Mr Schue walked in and Finn immediately said that he wanted to sing something.

He started to croon some love song directly at Rachel and it was making her distinctly uncomfortable. He didn't seem to realise however as he practically snatched Rachel's hand from her lap and swallowed it in his giant paw.

As he came to the end of the song, with a smirk on his face thinking he was amazing, he painfully clutched Rachel's hand tighter in his own and she let out a gasp.

Finn obviously took it as a swooning gasp and moved closer as Rachel winced at the growing pain and closed her eyes only to have the pain be taken away in an instant.

She opened he eyes again to see that Sam had pushed Finn out of the way with a murderous look on his face.

"What the hell man? How can you think its OK to hurt a girl like that?" His face was starting to get red and it was clear to everyone, including Finn, that he was looking for a fight.

"I wasn't hurting her, she was loving it. You are just jealous because she doesn't want you Evans!" Finn shouted spitefully, taking a step towards Sam, showing that he was ready for a fight as well.

"That is ridiculous Hudson, I'm in love with Mercedes and Rachel is like a sister to me!" Sam started to shout.

Rachel suddenly noticed the height and size difference between the two boys and began to worry about whether or not Sam could win this fight because it kind of looked as if Finn could sit on him and crush him. She had to intervene.

"Finn please stop this. You were hurting me and I have already told you that I am not interested in a romantic relationship with you so it was inappropriate to sing that love song to me." She had stood up and placed herself between the two boys and was hoping that she had diffused the situation.

"So you are in love with trouty mouth then?" Finn said, seemingly ignoring everything she had just said and not even looking at her as he spoke which made her sigh in frustration.

One look in Sam's eye and she realised she needed to move.

Just as she took a step back, Sam went flying towards Finn in a mass of flying blonde hair and punching fists and the two boys hit the floor with a jarring thud.

Sam was all action as he straddled Finn and started delivering punches to Finn's face and stomach. It took both Puck and Mike to pull Sam off as Mr Schue checked to see if Finn was OK. The brunette boy was led unconscious on the floor with a rapidly expanding pool of blood surrounding his head which now held a barely recognisable face.

The whole room was silent as they were all too shocked by the damage and even Mr Schue failed to do anything an adult would do in that situation as he stared at the mangled boy in shock.

Rachel was the only one who was looking at Sam and so was the only one who noticed the look of complete self loathing that flitted across his features before he harshly pulled himself away from Puck and Mike and ran from the room.

The two boys just let him go and the movement seemed to spur Mr Schue into action as he instructed Kurt to phone for an ambulance and for Puck and Mike to go and find Sam and bring him to Figgins' office.

It took Rachel all of one second to realise that she really needed to be the one that found Sam first.

With that thought in mind she sprinted out of the choir room and in the same direction that she had seen Sam disappear. She visited all the places that she had earlier in the day in her efforts to find the blonde boy but they were all empty and Rachel found herself waiting outside of Figgins' office for Puck and Mike to appear with Sam.

She took a seat in the waiting room and promptly ignored the strange looks that Figgins' assistant was giving her as she rested her head in her hands and tried not to think about how much trouble Sam was going to be in.

It was a few minutes later when the over powering stench of Puck's aftershave reached her nose and Rachel looked up just as the three boys she had been waiting to see, walked in with Brittany following behind looking guilty.

Sam was giving Brittany looks that clearly said that he felt betrayed and it was obvious that Brittany had figured out where he had been hiding and directed the other footballers to his location.

The assistant ushered the three boys inside quickly and closed the door in Brittany's face but she just shrugged it off and came to sit next to Rachel in silence. It was the longest time that they had been together without talking but it seemed oddly fitting and besides that Brittany seemed to be too deep in thought to even contemplate small talk.

A few minutes later the sound of sirens could be heard and the sound of footsteps echoing down the empty hallways of the school. Rachel looked through the glass of the office at Sam's profile slumped in a chair and wondered briefly if he could hear the sounds of the damage he had caused.

Not that Rachel blamed him of course. He had just been defending her after Finn had been a douche-bag and had hurt her but it was a long ingrained belief of hers that violence was never the answer and Sam had taken the beating too far. Now he was going to suffer for going overboard in his handling of Finn.

A few more minutes and the sirens started back up and Rachel assumed that they had loaded Finn into an ambulance and now were driving him to Lima General.

A very worried looking Mr Schue walked in once the sounds of the sirens had faded into the distance, leaving the school achingly quiet once more. He stopped only to gesture to Brittany to follow him before he stormed over to where Sam was sat behind the glass door. Sam was surely in for a rough ride for what he did to Mr Schue's golden boy.

Just as Brittany was following him through the door, she suddenly turned back and said, "Rach, we may be a while but I'm sure Sam will still take you home if you want to wait in his car." A smile and then the glass door closed behind her.

That was one of the many things that Rachel loved about Brittany. She was always so considerate, even when things were stressful. Rachel lived too far away from the school to contemplate walking on top of the fact that it was raining and also both of Rachel's fathers were working late that night so Sam really was her only way to get home.

She walked from the waiting room slowly, using it as an opportunity to try to see what was going on in the office but she didn't like seeing Sam getting shouted at or seeing Brittany crying so she just walked down the hallway towards Sam's car without looking back.

It seemed that the rain had picked up and so she covered her head with her bag and ran towards Sam's car, unlocking it and then jumping into the passenger seat. Sam had actually gone as far as to give her the spare key to his car as she always got rides to and from school with him and sometimes she would be waiting by the car whilst he had football practice. The first time she had waited for nearly two hours for him and the next day he had presented her with a key so she could stay warm and do some work while she waited.

She screamed when she realised that she wasn't alone in the car.

There was a girl sat in the drivers seat with short cut pink hair, punk clothes and a mostly used cigarette hanging from her mouth.

As Rachel screamed, hazel eyes darted towards her in confusion and before she knew what was happening she felt a hand pressed over her mouth, stifling the sounds she was making, that smelled like tobacco and vanilla.

"You have a good set of lungs on you. If I was a serial killer I would have run away by now in fear that people are coming to save you." Her voice was deep and raspy and it slid over Rachel like a wave that made her shudder without any conscious thought on her part. She vaguely wondered how many years the girl must have been smoking to get a voice like that.

The pink haired girl seemed to take the shudder as a sign that Rachel was cold as she had just been in the rain.

"You're all wet." She stated as an explanation as to why Rachel was shivering but Rachel realised there could be a double meaning and blushed because it was slightly true. This girl was making her a little wet because to put it bluntly the girl was gorgeous and was looking at her intensely. She knew that she should be afraid as the punk still had a hand over her mouth and a cigarette hanging dangerously low in her mouth but there was a gentleness on her face and in her mannerisms that somewhat erased her fears.

The punk girl saw the blush and smirked as she caught onto the double meaning as well. To save herself from further embarrassment Rachel pulled the girl's surprisingly soft fingers away from her mouth with no resistance and denying her instincts to run she instead asked the obvious question.

"Who the hell are you?" The smirk seemed to get bigger.

"Swearwords sound so good coming from your mouth baby and does it really matter who I am?"

Rachel felt as if the car was heating up as the pink haired girl called her baby and she couldn't understand why. The girl seemed overly cocky and if anyone else had called her baby she would have given them a ten minute speech on feminism and how that name is anti-feminist. So why wasn't she doing that now?

_Because you are getting lost in her soulful hazel eyes. Wait stop that, this girl could be a criminal,_ Rachel mentally scolded herself.

"Of course it matters who you are, you have broken into my best friend's car." Rachel almost shouted as she let some of the stress from the day seep out into the conversation.

"You can call me Quinn." The punk said simply, staring into Rachel's eyes.

"I'm Rachel Berry and you still haven't told me why you are sat in this car." Rachel responded, letting her manners take control as always but still being blunt as Quinn could still be a thief after all.

"I'm just waiting for Sammy." Quinn replied as she wound down her window and flicked her cigarette out then winding it back up before the rain got in.

"You know Sam?" Rachel said disbelievingly as she couldn't believe that Sam wouldn't mention a girl like this or even get involved with one. He was too straight cut to make friends with such a bad ass, it had taken him a while before he had even been able to make friends with Puck as Sam said he was too much of a jerk. All it took was Puck inviting him over to play on his brand new PS3 for the Mo-hawked guy to win him over.

"Oh yeah me and Sammy go way back so he wouldn't mind me breaking into his car so we could go for a little ride." Quinn said rather cryptically and Rachel couldn't help but feel a desire to want to figure out the puzzle.

"Why are you in the drivers seat if you wanted to ride with Sam?" It probably wasn't the most important question she could have asked but it seemed crucial at the time if she wanted to understand the workings of Quinn's mind.

_You don't care about the workings of a strangers mind, you should have asked her to get out of the car before you call the police._

At that moment Rachel saw Sam and Brittany walking out of the building and then running across the car park in the rain and she thought that she wouldn't get her answer as she turned to see Quinn stiffen in her seat and then open the door to get out.

"Because I like to be in control." Quinn answered at the last moment before the two blondes reached the car. A shiver ran through the brunette's body at the husked words then Quinn pulled her hoodie up and disappeared into some trees that were positioned along the edge of the car park.

The twins got into the car and they pulled off in silence but Rachel couldn't help but stare at the spot where the pink haired girl had disappeared.

The car pulled up outside her house and she got out but not before resting a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder which seemed to relax him a little and said sincerely, "Thank you." She was thanking him for defending her and his lips twitched upwards a little at the words and she shot a smile to Brittany in the rear-view mirror before fully getting out of the car.

She once again asked herself what was going on with her best friends to be causing so much havoc as she stood out in the rain, watching the car disappear until she was soaked and just generally thinking about the Evans family.

Not only did she find herself thinking of blonde twins but also a pink haired girl who had so thoroughly excited her in the few minutes of conversation that they had. She didn't know why she didn't mention to Sam or Brittany that someone had broken into the car but she did know that she wanted to keep Quinn as her special little secret.

Something about the punk girl was giving her chills and she wanted to keep her to herself until she figured out what she was feeling. Quinn was so different and Rachel really wanted to try to understand her but she was confusing.

One thing that Rachel did know however was that this girl was going to change everything.

* * *

**A/N: Tell me what you think...**


	2. Lurking In The Dark

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Two

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_A small blonde girl sat in the middle of a clearing in a patch of trees and cried into her hands. It only took a few seconds of listening to the heart wrenching sobs before a small blonde boy and girl, all of the same age, in unison, came out from their hiding places in the trees and rushed to the crying blonde. _

"_Its OK B, we're here, you haven't lost us." The shorter blonde girl comforted the taller one as she scooped her into her tiny arms for a hug. _

"_We won't hide so well any more Britt." The blonde boy promised as he took both of his sisters into his arms and turned their embrace into a group hug._

_The tears subsided enough so that Brittany could gasp out, "I knew you were up there, I just couldn't climb up the tree to get to you. You two are always climbing and I can't follow." At the end of the sentence she burst into a fresh round of tears that nearly had her siblings crying with her._

"_Well you are in luck B because it just so happens that today is the day that we are going to teach you to climb a tree." The shorter girl cried out and lifted Brittany to her feet with them all still wrapped in a hug._

"_But Lucy it looks really scary up that high." Brittany whimpered._

"_Its really not scary Britt, I promise you. Its like your own little kingdom when you get to the top and you can look down and see everything." Sam's enthusiasm was infectious and it soon spread to Brittany as a smile lit up on her face at the picture he had created in her mind._

_Approximately fourteen minutes later, three blonde six year old kids were stood in the branches of an old oak tree, declaring everything in their eye-line, a part of their joint kingdom._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Rachel knew that calling Sam would be out of the question. She had never seen him in a mood like that before but she knew that it would probably be fruitless trying to talk to the boy before he was ready. That left Brittany as the only option for getting answers.

"Hey Britt, how are you?" Rachel asked.

"Sad." Brittany exclaimed simply and didn't add to it.

"Why are you sad?" Rachel asked with her concern evident in her voice.

"Because everyone else is." Rachel could only assume that was because of Sam's fight and so went down a different road of questioning.

"Why was Sam so emotional today?" Rachel asked carefully, knowing that this was probably a touchy subject. She was proven correct when there was a few moments of silence where only Brittany's steady breaths could be held through the phone.

"We recently had some news that he found upsetting." Brittany spoke slowly and very carefully.

"What news?" Rachel prodded even further and she did realise that she was pushing it a little bit but she knew that Brittany would never snap at her and she really needed answers. She found herself pacing across her bedroom as she spoke.

"I think its better if we tell you in person Rach." Brittany once again spoke in that same controlled tone which was starting to frustrate Rachel as she clutched the phone tighter to her ear.

She had no choice but to concede to Brittany's decision but before she had a chance to say as much she heard a door slam from Brittany's end of the phone followed by shuffling.

"Oh no, what have they done now? If he has made her leave I will..." Brittany left her murmured threat go unfinished and she was clearly just talking to herself and had presumably forgotten about the phone as Rachel had had to strain her ears to hear what the blonde muttered.

"Who are you talking about Brittany?" Rachel asked in a loud voice so that the blonde could hear her even though she obviously didn't have the phone to her ear.

"I'm sorry Rachel, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." Brittany spoke into the phone hurriedly and then hung up without waiting for an answer.

In the Evans house Brittany was stood at the window watching as her sister walked off down the street and not once looking back. Despite how hurt she was by the pink haired girl, Brittany still wanted her to feel at home in their house and Sam hadn't said anything to her since she arrived.

She knew it was probably awkward with her Daddy as well due to his drinking and the fact that even when Quinn had been Lucy they had never really liked each other. He never hit her or anything but he would kind of just ignore her which in Brittany's mind could be just as bad.

Once Quinn had walked out of her view, Brittany found herself turning around and heading to the kitchen where she assumed Sam would be doing his homework. She had to admire that about him. Even though their Daddy would hardly ever come out to check on him, he still sat out there every night on the off chance that Dwight would stumble out and show some interest in his son and then their relationship could get better.

So far there had been no progress but Sam kept trying.

As always, Sam was sat at the kitchen table with his notebooks spread out in front of him and she could hear the faint buzz of the television coming from the darkened adjoining room where Dwight presumably sat. She took a seat opposite her brother and asked, "What did you do Sam?"

"I didn't do anything, I haven't even talked to her. She was just sat on the sofa with Dad, watching TV and then all of a sudden she got up and walked out of the door. Neither of us said anything Britt." She could see it in his eyes that he honestly didn't think that he had done anything to cause her to storm out and she could also see that he wasn't ready to talk to Quinn just yet.

"Did you ever think that that could be the problem Sam? You were both just ignoring her." She saw the flash of guilt on his face and knew he was struggling enough already with everything that was going on and so reached for his hand and rubbed her thumb along the back of it in an effort to soothe him.

"I think I need to go for a walk." Sam said as he pulled his hand away after a few moments and closed and stacked his books in his back pack.

"OK." Brittany whispered softly at his back as he left the house as well.

Just as he left, Dwight walked out of the living room and went straight to the cupboard in the kitchen, pulling out a bottle.

"Hey Daddy." Brittany greeted cheerfully but was given only a small nod of the head in response before Dwight wandered back to his cave with his latest find.

Brittany couldn't blame Quinn and Sam for wanting to get out of the house because she knew first hand what it was like to be ignored by a parent and sometimes it made her wish she could escape as well.

* * *

Rachel groaned in frustration when her call to Brittany had finished and she threw her phone onto the bed in her anger. It bounced harmlessly on the pillow and did nothing to soothe her frustration so she walked out onto a balcony hoping that a little fresh air would clear her mind and help her figure out a plausible explanation as to why her friends were acting the way they were.

The cool night air caressed her body like an embrace as she let the balcony doors fall closed behind her and she looked up to stargaze for a while, taking advantage of the cloudless night.

She stood staring into the sky far past her self imposed bed time for a school night as she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway and the tiny lights in the sky were soothing her frazzled nerves. The wind rustled through the trees that bordered the back of her house and ran quite close to where she was stood and helped provide a sort of white noise that almost allowed her to feel like she was floating.

"You look beautiful in the moonlight you know." A smooth and now familiar voice carried through the night and startled her out of her calm.

Rachel's eyes darted through the darkness, searching for the head of pink hair she knew that voice belonged to and after spotting a brief movement, her eyes found a tree that was particularly close to her.

In one of the thicker branches, leaning casually against the trunk of the tree and staring across the few metres to her, stood Quinn in all her pink haired, tattooed and pierced glory.

Once she had located the source of the noise she realised what Quinn had actually said and she blushed a little. Trying to gain some control back before she became a jittery mess from one smooth line from the girl, Rachel asked, "What are you doing at my house Quinn? Are you stalking me?"

"I was walking past and I saw you stood there, practically glowing, and I just wanted to look at you for a while." Quinn said and a genuine light shone in her hazel eyes which made Rachel feel as if she was melting a little bit. She found herself leaning closer to the railing around the balcony so that she could get a little closer to the girl who was becoming so fascinating to her.

"This balcony is at the back of the house, how did you see me?" Rachel asked, wondering if this girl might actually be a stalker.

"I didn't say I was walking by on the road." Quinn replied easily as she glanced back at the shadows of the trees behind her. Once she had left the Evans house she had immediately retired to the comfort of the trees, a place where she could really hide and just be at peace.

It was a lot better than the stifling atmosphere she had left in the living room with Dwight. She could have almost felt the disappointment radiating off him because of the person she had become. She had to get out.

Rachel could only see the vague movement of Quinn's head in the darkness and squinted her eyes to see her better and Quinn seemingly realised what the brunette was doing and so pushed herself off the trunk and moved along the branch with steady steps. She stopped when she was at a point about a metre away from Rachel so that the light from her bedroom illuminated her pale face and she sat down on the branch with her legs swinging freely in the air.

Clearly Quinn wasn't ready to finish this conversation just yet so Rachel decided to try to find out more about the mysterious girl.

"So where do you go to school Quinn?" Rachel asked as she leaned on the railing to try to be more at Quinn's level but was still looking down to ask the question.

"You'll find out soon enough." Quinn said cryptically and Rachel found herself slightly dismayed at the non answer. She tried again.

"How about, where do you live?" Rachel asked hopefully.

"You'll find out soon enough." Quinn repeated and Rachel was getting very frustrated. She let out a loud huff to show her displeasure and Quinn gave her an understanding and regretful smile. "Its just too complicated to get into right now and I want to just sit with you, talking about the little things, in the moonlight." Quinn explained softly.

"But you will tell me eventually? I mean for all I know you could be some stalker, serial killer, psychopath who's grooming me to be their next victim." Rachel's voice was getting louder and incredibly more panicked as she spoke, as if her own words were convincing her that her fears were correct.

"Rach, I'm not grooming you, I'm fairly sure that only paedophiles do that and we are both the same age. Why don't you just ask me a little question and I'll try to answer it." Quinn suggested and she watched Rachel nod her head in agreement. With her bedroom light shining behind her, Quinn couldn't help but think that Rachel looked like an angel and tried to keep a dopey expression off her face as she took in the girl's beauty and waited for her question.

"What is your last name Quinn? Is that a little enough question for you?" Rachel probed, not letting her hope show on her face this time.

Quinn smiled happily because she knew that Rachel had finally asked a question she could answer.

"Fabray."

Just as she answered the deep laugh of Leroy Berry sounded through the house followed by the thump of his heavy footsteps. Rachel had just enough time to move into her bedroom and close the balcony doors behind her before Leroy walked into her bedroom.

"Daddy how many times have I asked you to knock before you enter my room?" Rachel asked looking slightly flushed at the exhilaration of nearly getting caught talking to Quinn.

Leroy looked at his only daughter strangely as she was just stood in the middle of the room appearing very guilty but he decided to let it go temporarily.

"Sorry honey, I'll remember next time but you have a handsome young visitor." Leroy said as he backed out of the room, expecting her to follow immediately. She was nothing if not a good hostess but was shocked to see her still stood in the same place.

"I will be down momentarily if you could keep my guest entertained for a moment Daddy?" Rachel spoke very fast and was inching towards the balcony doors not realising how suspicious she was acting. She didn't really care though, she just wanted to get back to Quinn because even though they had only met a few hours ago, she really wanted to spend more time with her.

Rachel did realise that she had a little bit of a crush on the girl but what was so unusual was that she wasn't used to crushing on people she would define as bad asses. Usually the devil may care attitude did not do anything to turn her on but with Quinn, all bets were off.

She was worried because this girl was essentially a stranger and could be dangerous but that was what was also luring Rachel to her. She also reasoned that with a few more meetings such as the one that night, they would soon come to know each other very well, even if Quinn proved to be reluctant to such an option.

When she heard her father take five footsteps down the hallway that was when she let out the breath she was holding and spun around and opened the balcony doors, practically flying back to her original spot.

It didn't take her long to realise that Quinn was no longer sitting in her previous position and she felt a sting of sadness that the conversation was over, even if she was about to end it anyway.

"Interesting visitor that you have." Quinn stated and Rachel realised that the punk had just moved to a different branch which allowed her to see around the house and have a direct view of the front porch.

"Who is it?" Rachel asked and Quinn looked across, her face half hid in the shadow of an over hanging branch, and saw the genuine puzzlement on the brunette's face.

"Its Sammy." Quinn said in a very controlled voice and what Rachel could see of her face looked pained as she said the name. She was curious as to the reaction but she tried to not let it show on her face as she didn't want to appear nosy. She ran a hand through her long hair and watched as Quinn's eyes trailed the movement.

"I should let you tend to your visitor and not drag you into the shadows to keep me company." Quinn spoke softly and Rachel couldn't help but feel that the last part of the sentence had been Quinn talking to herself.

"Yes, of course. I suppose I will see you the next time you decide to pop out of nowhere to speak to me?" Rachel questioned, half jokingly and watched as hazel eyes lit up in the darkness.

"Something tells me that I won't be able to stay away from you." Quinn whispered into the still night air and then with a rustle of leaves she disappeared completely into the darkness.

Rachel didn't care if Quinn could still see her, she face palmed as she wondered what she had gotten herself into. Quinn intrigued her and she found her mind filled with thoughts of the girl and was silently hoping that from Quinn's last words, that the pink haired girl was feeling the same.

"Rachel Barbara Berry, its rude to keep a guest waiting." Leroy shouted from the bottom of the staircase and Rachel's eyes widened as she remembered that Sam was waiting for her. Maybe this was their opportunity to talk about everything that had happened in the last twelve hours.

Sam looked exhausted as he had sprawled his body along the Berry's sofa, allowing his head to fall back and his eyes to droop closed. Rachel almost thought that he had fallen asleep until she walked into the room and her footsteps sounded loudly against the wooden floor and his eyes opened.

A weary smile broke out across his face and he moved his body in a little so that there was room for Rachel to sit down next to him, which she promptly did.

Noticing that he looked tired, she thought that she would start him off on a hopefully easier topic that he had neglected to fill her in on during the car ride home.

"So what punishment did you get for the fight today Sam?" Rachel asked with her most caring voice, showing that she wasn't mad at him for what he did. In fact she was quite pleased that he had stood up for her even if he did it violently which Rachel detested.

He closed his eyes as he said, "I managed to spin it that Finn had been about to attack you and I was stepping in to protect you. They haven't suspended me but Schue came in and said I went overboard and demanded punishment for the kid who pummelled his golden boy." He snorted his hatred for the man and Rachel gasped her shock that Mr Schue would sell out one of his own students like that.

"So what did you get if not suspension?" Rachel asked.

"Two months after school detention, after football practices. Its going to be really tough but its better than I thought I would get. Oh and on top of that, Finn may be able to press charges against me once he gets out of the hospital but I don't want to think about that just yet." Sam said honestly before they fell into a comfortable silence.

After a few moments Sam looked like he was about to fall asleep but Rachel still wanted to talk to him so she leaned forward and brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and gently asked, "What's wrong Sam?"

At first it looked like he was about to say that he was fine, the words already on his lips but then he remembered that he had come to see Rachel so that he could talk it out with someone impartial.

He took a deep breathe and sat up a little taller in his seat, taking comfort in the fact that there was such evident concern in Rachel's large brown eyes and the familiar surroundings of the Berry home also eased his troubled mind.

"My Dad gave me and Britt some news last night." He started. He had never been good with talking about his feelings, mostly helped by the fact that Brittany didn't need him to speak to know what he was feeling and most of the time his Dad was too drunk to care.

But Rachel seemed to realise that he needed to talk it out and sat in front of him patiently whilst he assembled his thoughts.

He opened his mouth to speak at the same time that the front porch light automatically sprung on at the front of their house and the shouts of one of the neighbours could be heard. Leroy popped his head into the living room to see if the two teenagers were alright as they all stopped speaking in time to hear an almighty crash outside.

"Ha, get out of that you creep!" Mr Johnson, their next door neighbour, shouted and his voice was now considerably closer to the front door. The three inhabitants of the house started to make their way to the front door with their curiosity suitably piqued and as they got to the hallway they started to run as they heard Mr Johnson scream followed by another thud.

Once they got outside they saw the sixty year old man led in their rose bushes with their hose pipe cut up around his feet, staring at the road with disbelief.

"What happened?" Leroy asked as he rushed towards the man and he and Sam helped him to his feet.

"She had a knife!" The man said in shock.

"Who had a knife?" Leroy asked worriedly as he glanced all around the street and he helped the grey haired man dust himself off then helped him step out of the remains of the hose pipe.

"The girl who was hanging around outside your house. I crept over here and got the hose pipe, called at her to distract her and then wrapped the pipe around her to trap her. Then out of nowhere she gets this knife and cuts the pipe, throws it at me then takes off down the street." The man seemed to be getting out of breathe as he told his story and clearly needed calming down.

"Lets get you into the house and you can have a sit down and a cup of tea." Leroy suggested and the four of them went to the kitchen as Leroy suggested.

"What did this girl look like Mr Johnson?" Rachel asked carefully, already having a suspicion as to who the mystery girl was.

"Pink hair, dark clothes, a tattoo and piercings, a very shady character if you ask me." Mr Johnson said judgementally as Leroy set a steaming cup down in front of him and he accepted it gratefully. Rachel felt her eyes widen at his answer but she didn't want to give herself away and so quickly changed her face to one of fearful interest. It wasn't quick enough however as Leroy gave her a strange look over the table.

"I think I better get going guys but thank you for having me." Sam said very politely and everything about his manner seemed very controlled. He only did that when he was feeling very emotional, either very angry or very upset. He didn't wait for a response and simply walked out of the kitchen with a small, respectful wave directed at Leroy who nodded in response.

"Wait Sam, we were about to talk." Rachel said as she followed him out of the front door.

"Its OK Rae, I think I just need to get home now." Sam said as he stopped just on the edge of the porch. Rachel moved forward and put a hand on his shoulder and tried to look into the hazel eyes that she was told that he inherited from his mother, a woman she had never met.

"Sam, please know that if you need to talk, I am always here for you." He nodded and then slipped out from underneath Rachel's comforting hand and took off down the street in the same direction that Mr Johnson said that their peeping tom went.

The front door creaked a little as it opened and Leroy and Mr Johnson came out.

"Thank you for the tea Leroy but Sarah will be getting worried about me. I only came out to water the begonia's." Mr Johnson said with a smile and a friendly pat on Leroy's back.

"Well thank you for looking out for us Michael. Its a pleasure to have you as a neighbour." Leroy said kindly and honestly.

"You too, goodnight." Mr Johnson said as he walked off towards his house where the door opened to his wife shouting something unintelligible at him and he slipped inside with a grimace and a wave.

"So Rachel, do you have any idea who could be outside of our house at such a late hour, after you had been in your bedroom acting so unusually just moments before?" Leroy asked in a stern voice which she knew meant business.

Rachel had never felt so lucky in her life as her other father, Hiram Berry, pulled up from his late shift at the hospital and she hoped his presence would distract her Daddy from his questioning. One look up into the same brown eyes as herself told her that she was not off the hook.

"I have no idea Daddy." She answered simply, putting her ten years of acting classes to good use and then walked back inside of the house.

"What was that about?" Hiram asked as he approached his husband with a weary look on his face.

"Come inside and I'll fill you in." Leroy said as he watched their daughter ascend the stairs from their position still stood on the porch. Hiram went to walk inside and tripped over the pieces of hose pipe that still littered their lawn.

He picked up a piece and opened his mouth to ask a question when Leroy, in an incredibly tired voice said, "I'll tell you inside."

* * *

About ten minutes across town, the peeping tom had just made it back to the place that she unfortunately had to call home and decided that she definitely did not want to go in through the front door and hesitated, standing on the front lawn.

If she went in the front door that would mean that she would have to have a conversation with Dwight and that was something that she desperately wanted to avoid.

He was a nice enough guy for someone she had only started to get reacquainted with that morning but if she was honest, even though he was her biological father, she had a father back home in Cleveland and this man was trying to replace him.

If she really thought about it she would realise that Russell Fabray had in fact been a replacement of Dwight Evans when her mother left him and Lima but she was only six when they had moved and so she didn't really know the blonde haired man very well. Only a few unpleasant childhood memories built up a picture of the man she should call Dad but she knew how much a person can change over time and hoped that this change had happened to Dwight.

The fact that the man was an alcoholic hadn't really helped his cause but whereas the issue seemed to be giving Sam and Brittany a hard time, Quinn found that it really didn't bother her that much. She knew the oblivion that alcohol could provide and as a single Dad with two kids and with the love of his life gone she couldn't really blame him for resorting to drink.

What also didn't help his cause was the fact that she was being forced to live with him. She knew she had issues but she had always just thought of her behaviour as typical teenage rebellion stuff. Her mother had had a similar belief until 'The Incident' as Judy had dubbed it. Judy had blamed Quinn for it even though it wasn't her fault and she had done nothing wrong stating that if it hadn't been for Quinn's bad behaviour she wouldn't have been in the school that night.

After the incident, Judy had apparently given up on her, not really knowing how to handle the situation and sent her to live with her ex-husband as she just couldn't take any more.

It wasn't really surprising that with two parents that in her eyes were no good, Quinn had attached herself to her mother's second husband.

Russell Fabray was a God in the eyes of little Lucy Evans when her and Judy had first moved to Cleveland. He had seen her as an angel and had taken her to do cool things and had kind of spoilt her. Not only that but he listened to her and treated her like the daughter he had always wanted but never had the opportunity to have. She loved him so much that she wanted to be his daughter and so took his last name when Judy married him even though he told her she didn't have to if it made her uncomfortable.

In her memories of her biological father, Dwight had always treated her and Brittany like they were an accident and it was common knowledge that he had only wanted a son and that them latching themselves onto Sam, as he saw it, was an inconvenience to him. When Russell had treasured her, it was no wonder she had automatically seen him as more of a father that Dwight had ever been and had even started to call Russell, 'Dad'.

It was because of the way Dwight had treated her that she had begged to stay with her mother in the divorce.

Usually the mother will automatically gain custody over the children in a divorce but the Evans' had split up because Judy had been cheating on Dwight. After a little Lucy had asked to speak to the Judge, unprecedented but allowed, gave an impassioned speech with a few fake tears, each of the children had been allowed to chose which parent they wanted to stay with.

Being the apple of his father's eye at the time, Sam had immediately chosen him and after silent contemplation, Brittany in her unexpected wisdom, chose to stay with Sam saying that he would need her in a few years, despite the fact that Brittany was happier with her mother.

Brittany's prophecy would turn out to be incredibly accurate.

Due to the ferocity of the custody battle and divorce proceedings both parents, very spitefully, allowed no contact between the triplets stating that they wanted nothing to do with each other any more. It meant that she lost the most important thing in her life but it was too late. She had made her choice and she had to stick with it.

She had been fairly happy with Judy and Russell and although she never got over losing her brother and sister, she did manage to move on with her life.

It was when Judy and Russell got a divorce that Quinn lost it. She became the punk that she was parading herself around Lima as. She felt so lost and hurt when her Daddy left that she changed her name from Lucy Fabray to Quinn Fabray. Her mother didn't like that she had decided to keep Russell's last name but Quinn didn't care. She still loved her Daddy even if he couldn't be with them any more.

When her Daddy left, it was the start of the bad behaviour that led to The Incident which led to her being stood outside her childhood home and cursing the name of Judith Jenkins for abandoning her in this place.

She stood in the moonlight and stared at the front of the house for a seemingly endless period of time and hoped that her time in Lima would allow her to reconnect with the brother and sister that she had once and still, loved so much.

As she heard the crunching of gravel and watched and incredibly angry looking blonde boy storm up the driveway towards her she realised that she was going to have to work very hard for her hopes to be fulfilled.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for all the follows and to the two people who reviewed. I hope you are enjoying the story and please review...**


	3. The Promises I Made

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Three

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

"_Why isn't Lucy staying with us Sammy?" A six year old Brittany Evans was trying to understand the situation but simply couldn't and tears had already stained her cheeks as evidence of her frustration._

"_Because she doesn't love Dad." Sam didn't have to say 'and she doesn't love us' out loud because Brittany automatically knew that he meant that and another round of sobs rattled through her body. Sam drew her into his arms and walked them over to sit on the low stone wall that surrounded their house._

_A little bit further down the road he watched his mother moving bags into the back of her SUV whilst Lucy sat trapped in the back seat as Judy had turned on the child lock on all the doors. She had only done it to prevent Lucy from having to say any painful, long goodbyes to the other two thirds of her whole but she didn't realise she was causing her daughter more pain by preventing her from saying a real goodbye._

_As Judy walked back into the house to pick up the last few boxes, Lucy saw her chance as dived out of the car through the still open trunk. As soon as her little feet hit the ground she was running to her brother and sister who had been watching her the whole time. _

_She ran straight into Brittany's open arms and pulled Sam down by his shirt to join the hug. It didn't matter if he was mad, it could have been the last time they ever saw each other. Sam eagerly joined the hug because he knew they all still loved each other, he was just hurt because Lucy was leaving._

"_I'll call you. Everyday. I don't care if I have to talk to a stranger to borrow a phone if Mom won't let me. And I'll make sure I write to you at least once a week." Lucy promised looking into bright blue eyes the shade of her father's and then into hazel eyes the same shade as her own as they both nodded eagerly at her suggestion. "I just can't stay here with him." She added as she glanced up at the house and the other two blondes nodded sadly in understanding as Judy made her way back to the car and noticed Lucy's disappearance._

"_Lucy Quinn Evans get to this car at once." Judy yelled not immediately seeing where the three were as they were shielded slightly by a tree._

"_I love you Lucy, please don't forget us." Brittany begged and held onto Lucy's hand tightly. _

"_I won't, I promise." Lucy said as she kissed Brittany's hand wrapped around hers then kissed her on her cheek. She felt like her heart was breaking in pieces but she tried to hold it together for the last few moments that she had with her siblings._

"_I will count to three young lady." Judy called impatiently from nearby and Lucy hurriedly turned to her little brother._

"_I love you as well Sammy, always." Tears were starting to well up in all of their eyes now as they knew they didn't have much time left._

"_I love you Luce." Sam said pulling the small blonde girl in for a quick hug before pulling away and plastering on a brave smile. "Now go have fun in your new home." _

_Lucy took a few steps back as their mother came towards her and had just enough time to call back as she was whisked away. "My home will always be with you two."_

_END OF FLASHBACK_

From a distance he had looked simply angry as he stormed up the driveway towards her but as he came closer, Quinn realised that Sam was masking a hurt in his eyes. It had been the same look that she had been subjected to since she first arrived on their doorstep that morning, it had just been masked by different emotions.

She also felt her own pain and sadness as she took in the familiar sight of her little brother, although he had gotten taller, his face had barely changed. She had only had a brief chance to see him that morning when she arrived. As soon as he had spotted her he had simply walked out of the door.

He had been warned that she was coming to stay but to actually see her in person, how much she had changed and how much he had missed in her life. It made his heart hurt.

"We need to talk Lucy." He said as he pulled her into the shadow of the garage. She probably could have stopped him but she let herself get dragged knowing that they did need to talk and he had probably figured out that it had been her that was outside the Berry residence and had nearly given that old man a heart attack.

"My name is Quinn." She corrected and he just scoffed but accepted it as he had simply forgotten the name change in the heat of the moment. His father had told him that she had changed her name.

"What were you doing outside Rachel's house tonight?" He questioned with fire burning in his eyes. It was easier for them to talk about this than for him to open up about what he really wanted to discuss.

"Who is Rachel? I wasn't outside anyone's house tonight except the hundreds that I walked past." Quinn lied smoothly. She had a lot of experience in the art of deception but there was something about her brother that was breaking her walls down bit by bit and her skills were lacking as she spoke.

"I know you are lying to me. Did you follow me? Was that why you were there?" He asked as he pointed his finger into her chest and she straightened her back a little, knowing that she was going to have to be a lot more convincing if she wanted him to drop the subject.

She really didn't know why she wanted to keep her little conversations with Rachel a secret. Rachel and Sam were obviously friends and Sam probably wouldn't approve of them spending time together as he so clearly didn't trust Quinn but that wasn't why she didn't want him to know.

What she had experienced with Rachel over the past few hours had felt different to the times she had been with other girls, even though they weren't doing anything other than talking. It had felt special and she wanted to keep that to herself for a little while.

A flicker of hope in a dark time.

"Don't flatter yourself Sammy, I was just walking around tonight and I certainly didn't see you anywhere, let alone follow you anywhere." Quinn said with a confident tone as she looked up at the boy challengingly. She knew it wasn't the right way to start the first real conversation they had had since she came back but she didn't like being accused especially if she hadn't done it. She knew she had made the wrong decision on how to approach the boy when she looked up at his face.

A sudden weariness had seemed to spread across his face, making him look even more haggard in the moonlight. He took a step back from her and ran a hand over his face. Quinn felt the desire to try to soothe the boy's weariness, especially as she really had missed him. Sam, Brittany and her had been like three parts of a whole and and it had hurt so much to be separated from them, a pain that had only grown to a dull ache over time.

_Why do you always have to lash out at those closest to you, why can't you just tell him that you love him and that you are sorry?_

She wasn't sure what she really wanted to say to him so she walked over to Sam and rested a comforting hand, gently on his shoulder and whispered, "Everything will be OK Sammy." She wouldn't have said that she was lying to Sam, although there was no way to know if what she said was true, she was just being optimistic for the first time in a long time to try to make her little brother feel better.

"Lets go inside." Sam said without emotion as he shrugged out from underneath Quinn's hand and walked straight in through the front door.

When she heard no chatter coming from the house she assumed that Dwight had gone to bed and that she was safe to enter so she trailed after Sam. Just inside the front door, Sam had stopped and was looking into the living room at his father who had passed out on the sofa with an empty bottle of vodka clutched in his hands like a lifeline.

"I guess everyone needs a little release after a stressful day like today." Quinn said quietly as she didn't want to risk waking Dwight up and then having to talk to him, though in a drunken stupor she imagined that he would be more tolerable.

"He shouldn't...he is supposed to...why can't he?..." Sam trailed off into silence as he dropped his head to his chest but the sound of his desperate pleas still echoed off the empty hallway and chilled Quinn to the bone. Sam sounded so pained that she longed to take her little brother into her arms the way she had done when they were kids but she knew her attempts wouldn't be welcomed.

_What did I leave them with?_ She asked herself.

Instead of saying something about what a jerk Dwight is or more meaningless attempts at comfort, she simply said, "Lets just go upstairs Sammy and let him sleep it off." Looking slightly lost, the blonde boy nodded at her suggestion and then walked slowly up the stairs and into his room, closing the door without saying goodnight.

Quinn pretended not to see the tears in the corners of his eyes as he had turned to close the door.

She walked silently up to his door and rested her hand on the wood then rested her head next to it and for a few moments pretended that Sam was doing the same on the other side. She felt that the distance between her brother was more insurmountable than it had been when she had been in a different town and that made her want to cry but the walls she had spent years erecting wouldn't let her break down.

Instead she tore herself away from the door, crept down the hallway to Brittany's bedroom and gently tapped on the door.

"Come in Quinn." Sounded quietly from inside and she cringed at the seriousness in the voice of her sister who was usually so bubbly and slightly hated herself for causing so much pain with her return. Not that her mother and given her any choice in the matter, she had just packed Quinn's bags and took her to Lima before she had a chance to really protest.

Her mother would argue that if it hadn't been for Quinn's behaviour following The Incident then Judy wouldn't have been forced to send her here but Quinn would disagree. Her mother and simply taken the easy way out and not even bothered to try to help her. All of Quinn's actions since Russell had left had practically been screaming at her mother to help her and pay attention to her but, much as Dwight had, Judy turned her life to focus on alcohol.

The blissful oblivion of unconsciousness can sometimes be preferable to dealing with the pain that life has thrown at you. Its not the right way to deal with your emotions but sometimes it was the only way that people knew how to survive. She knew all to well the truth in that and so she would be a hypocrite to truly be angry at her biological parents.

Quinn sighed, knowing that even though it hadn't been her choice to come back here, it still meant she got a second chance to know Sam and Brittany and even if it was hard dealing with the pain that had built up over the past ten years, Quinn wasn't going to give up this opportunity without a fight.

She pushed the door open to be met with the light blue walls of Brittany's and now her own bedroom. She would have guessed that Brittany would have had bright pink walls with unicorn posters or something equally as garish but the blue walls with white furniture gave the room a sky like appearance which oddly suited the blonde girl.

The fact that Brittany was already sleeping on a bunk bed with the lower bunk spare was more in line with the slightly childish bedroom that Quinn had imagined although the bed (and a large collection of stuffed animals) were the only thing childish in the room and the bunk beds had proved to be useful. She really hadn't wanted to sleep on the sofa and if the snippets of Sam and Dwight's conversations were anything to go by, she would have had to fight the drunken older man for that sleeping spot most nights.

Brittany was sitting on the desk chair next to her incredibly messy desk and was facing the doorway with solemn eyes as Quinn walked in.

"We need to talk." Brittany mirrored Sam's earlier words unknowingly and Quinn nodded nervously and took a seat across from her on her new bed, trying not to hit her head on the beam that was the base of Brittany's bed.

Quinn started wringing her hands together after only a few moments of silence with Brittany staring at her as if she was an open book she was enjoying reading. The way Brittany could understand people, Quinn had no doubt that it was easier for her to read a person than to read a book.

"Why did you break your promises?" Brittany's face broke as she spoke with the pain she had been housing for ten years and suddenly all Quinn could see was the little six year old blonde girl who hadn't wanted to let go of her hand when her and Judy had left.

Automatically, all of Quinn's defences fell and she surged forward and pulled her sobbing little sister into her arms. It gave her slight relief when Brittany excepted the hug but it still hurt her to know how much grief she had caused both of her younger siblings.

She really didn't like talking about her emotions but she knew that Brittany and Sam deserved to know why she had so blatantly broken her promise and it would be easier to open up to Brittany first. The first thing she had to do however was correct what Brittany had asked.

"Britt, I am so sorry for breaking my promise but I need to tell you that I only broke one of them, not both." Quinn said in a soothing voice as she tucked a few strands of wispy blonde hair out of bright blue eyes clouded with tears.

"What do you mean?" Brittany choked out as she pulled back a little so she could look down into Quinn's eyes as the pink haired girl was kneeling in the floor next to her.

"I broke my promise in that I didn't keep in contact with you once I left and I will explain that to you but my other promise...Brittany I never forgot you." Quinn swore as she cupped Brittany's cheek in her hand.

"If you didn't forget me then why didn't you call or write?" Brittany asked. Her tears had stopped but looked like they could start up again at any moment so Quinn decided she needed to prove what she was saying.

She pulled her wallet from her pocket and opened it up in front of them as Brittany looked on curiously. Out of one of the credit card slots she gently removed a tattered and browning photograph and held it up for Brittany to see.

It was a picture of the three of them at their fourth birthday party. Their parents had hired a bouncy castle, a clown, had bought them the largest chocolate cake they could find. It was a kid's dream but after about an hour they had crept away from the party and up into their tree house to have their own fun. The picture was of them wrapped in blankets on the oak floor, asleep in a big bundle when Dwight and Judy had found them at the end of the night. They were all smiling in their sleep and it was a time when Quinn could remember being so happy that she had kept the photo to remind her of better times.

Then her sixteen year old Brittany burst into tears again and threw herself at the pink haired girl. Once the tears had died down again Quinn could finally make out what Brittany was trying to say and when she spotted the happy smile on her face she knew they had been happy tears.

"So you never really forgot us!" Brittany stated happily, knowing that the picture had been constantly looked at as it was tattered.

"No never. Every night before I would go to sleep I would take out this picture and pretend that you two were sleeping next to me so that I wouldn't feel so alone. Britt ever since I left there has been a hole in my heart because the three of us were apart and I just couldn't handle it for the longest time." Quinn was getting a little embarrassed as she shared how weak she had been without her brother and sister but she knew that she wasn't finished yet because Brittany was going to want more answers.

As if prompted by Quinn's thoughts she asked, "But why did you break the other promise Quinnie?" It was the first time Brittany had used that nickname for her and only Russell had ever called her that but with Brittany the name seemed fitting and Quinn could never say no to her, especially when she was looking as vulnerable as she did in that moment.

"Brittany, I think that I would say that the biggest mistake of my life was not calling you and Sammy or keeping in contact in some way. Judy made sure that I was never able to contact you in any way, that was part of the agreement in the divorce proceedings because Dwight and Judy were to have no contact with each other. I did promise you though that even if she wouldn't let me that I would run away and find a way to speak to you and I didn't do that and I am so sorry. I just...it was so painful to be separated from you two so completely that I didn't want to call and tell you I would never see you again and barely get to talk to you again. I was a child and I was scared and I am so sorry."

That was it. Quinn had said her piece. She had laid herself bare for Brittany to see, she had explained her actions and now it was up to the blonde girl to do what she pleased with the information.

Brittany stood up and looked down searchingly at Quinn for a seemingly endless period of time at the end of which she simply opened her arms to her sister.

Quinn moved gratefully into the hug and allowed herself to truly relax for the first time in along time into her sister's taller frame.

"I forgive you Quinnie." Brittany whispered into her ear and then added, "Just please don't leave again or if you do promise you will call me this time. Don't let Mom keep you away from us any more. Fight for us to stay together, all three of us, no matter what."

"I know it probably doesn't mean much to you as you probably don't trust me but...I promise Britt and I won't break a promise to you again." Quinn spoke softly into the cheerleader's chest and tightened the hug a bit which Brittany happily did as well.

"It means a lot Quinn." Brittany said as she pulled away and started getting ready for bed.

"You just have to get Sam to forgive you now and we can pick up where we left off." The excitableness had come back to Brittany's voice as she climbed up onto the top bunk and switched the lights off by clapping her hands.

_Easier said than done_, Quinn thought as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When Quinn woke up the next it was like she hadn't been gone for ten years because her and Brittany fell into the same patterns as before she had left. That meant that she was awoken promptly at six o'clock to Brittany jumping up and down on her bed and it made Quinn strangely happy to know that Brittany had not lost that little habit. Though on bunk beds it was a difficult feat, Brittany managed it by bouncing on her hands and knees like a dog positioned over Quinn's body.

"Wake up Quinnie, I'll make breakfast in half an hour and I need to wake Sam up, will you be OK finding your way around?" Brittany asked kindly as she sat back on Quinn's legs as her tired, hazel eyes fluttered open.

"Sure, I'll be fine B, you do what you got to do." She probably sounded far less eloquent than she thought she did as her throat was croaky from sleep but Brittany seemed to understand and bounced out of the room with another bright smile.

Quinn groaned and dragged her sheets over her head but Brittany seemed like she was used to giving multiple wake up calls and came back in after ten minutes, fully dressed, and repeated her earlier process of jumping on the bed and wouldn't leave until Quinn had actually walked towards their bathroom.

A half an hour later and Quinn found herself awkwardly sitting across from two blonde men looking equally as uncomfortable with Brittany buzzing around the room and filling the painful silence.

When Brittany had to go out of the room to get her bag, the three occupants of the table fidgeted slightly until Dwight looked up from the coffee he had put large amounts of vodka into and Quinn was pinned by his bright blue eyes. She realised that he must not have gotten drunk again yet.

"How are you finding Lima Quinn?" He asked quietly and although he pretended otherwise, she could see that Sam was interested to know whether or not she wished she could leave.

The truth was that a part of her did wish that she could leave because after all she had left friends behind in Cleveland and she had left Russell but on the other hand she was more than appreciative that she had a second chance with her brother and sister and if it meant she had to stay in Lima until the end of high school then that was a price she was willing to pay to get closer to her family.

All she said out loud was, "Its cool." She ignored the flicker of disappointment on Dwight's face at her non-answer and instead turned to look at Sam as she continued, "I think I'm going to stick around for a while."

It was a promise that she wasn't just going to up and leave him again and that she wanted to make things right between them. He nodded and it was all she needed. He was going to give her a chance. It wasn't forgiveness and through his eyes he was showing that he was still in pain but it was a chance and it wasn't one that Quinn was just going to throw away.

She smiled at him and he gave a small smile back before he pulled away from the table, picked up his backpack and went to leave for school.

"Sam you need to take Lu...Quinn to school." Dwight said, stumbling over her name as he was clearly adjusting to it as well.

"I can't. I have a full car. Me and Britt pick up Rachel and Santana." He had no menace in his voice as he spoke so he clearly wasn't trying to be cruel. He was just stating a fact although he did shoot her a sideways glance when he mentioned Rachel but Quinn managed to keep her features blank.

Dwight looked like he was about to argue but Quinn quickly cut him off as she didn't want to be the cause of contention.

"Its OK Dwight, I can make my own way to school." Dwight just nodded and went back to his 'coffee' trying to dull the pain that had been caused when his eldest daughter called him Dwight. Sam looked unhappy, like he was letting Quinn down, but realised he had no other options and so left without another word. It was a sign to Quinn that Sam really was a good guy. He should hate her but he still was worried about leaving her behind.

It kept her smiling for most of the way to school, that was until 20 minutes into the walk that should of taken 15 minutes, she realised she was lost.

* * *

Sam had actually came into the Berry house without prompting that morning and so Rachel happily contemplated the possibility that whatever had been bothering him yesterday was no longer an issue. Her mind could rest easy except the fact that he remained very quiet and constantly seemed lost in thought. He seemed calm today rather than the hurt and agitated that he had seemed yesterday and so Rachel chalked that up as a plus until they got to school.

As soon as they walked into the school, Sam began searching for something or someone and was getting more and more frustrated the closer it got to the first bell. At one point he even went to the office but came back a few minutes later looking chastised.

"Where is she?" Sam finally shouted out as he threw his arms in the air about a minute before the bell was due to ring.

"She'll be here soon, I'm sure Sam. Lets just go to class." Brittany suggested and they all made their way to their shared first class.

When they got to the room they saw that their teacher wasn't their yet so she turned in her seat so she could talk to Sam who was sat behind her and Brittany, who was sat next to her, turned as well. The two blondes knew what was coming and so mentally prepared themselves.

"You two need to tell me what is going on. I have been patient over the last 24 hours but you can't expect me to wait any longer." Rachel spoke quietly so as to avoid the attention of Puck who was sat next to Sam but was flirting with some random cheerio on his other side and so was adequately distracted.

"You're right Rachel and I'm sorry. I have been meaning to tell you but we got interrupted." Sam took a deep breathe at this point and looked at a loss for words so Brittany took over for him.

"There is something we never told you Rach because it was a painful topic for us but...we are actually triplets." Brittany said slowly and waited to see Rachel's reaction.

Her mouth dropped open and she wasn't sure what to say. The idea that they had kept such a big secret from her stung a little but then she remembered that Brittany said it was a painful topic and so she realised something must have happened.

"So what happened to your sibling?" Rachel asked carefully and very wearily as she didn't want to upset her friends.

"She left with our Mom after the divorce and we haven't heard a single word from her in ten years even though she promised." The hurt was so evident in Sam's voice that both girls felt the need to pull him into a hug but were interrupted when the teacher came in and started the class so they couldn't talk any more.

Rachel realised that she would have to wait for the rest of the story and so contented herself with the information that she had already. She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea that the Evans twins were actually the Evans triplets and Rachel couldn't help but wonder what the third triplet looked like.

As they had said she was a girl, Rachel started picturing a girl that was the spitting image of Brittany or at least the signature dirty blonde hair of the Evans family. She imagined that the girl would be quite attractive if she ever got the chance to meet her, especially if Sam and Brittany's appearance was anything to go by.

She found that the whole lesson had passed her by before she even realised it as she had gotten caught up in her thoughts. It looked like her two friends had experienced the same thing as all three of them jumped when the bell rang.

The next lesson Rachel had on her own but Sam and Brittany had a study period and they said they were going to go to the office but Rachel stopped them before they split ways because she really wanted one more piece of information that she could day dream the next lesson away with.

"Guys, what is your sister's name?"

Sam thought about it for a second and Rachel thought he was contemplating whether or not to tell her when he finally said, "Her name is Lucy." She thought there was an undercurrent in his voice that she didn't understand but she let it go temporarily as she didn't want to be late to class.

She walked away thinking about the name Lucy Evans, wondering what the girl would be like and questioning why this was upsetting her two friends ten years after this girl left.

* * *

He hadn't felt this angry in a very long time and coincidentally the last time was caused by the very same girl as now. What was strange though was that he was really just worried about Quinn which made him angry because he wanted to stay mad at her. His feelings were genuinely confusing him and he wasn't used to it which made him feel uncomfortable. To put it kindly he was a hot mess.

As soon as they parted ways with Rachel, Sam and Brittany went straight to the office again, hoping that they could check up with the secretary to see if Quinn had come to see her.

The secretary blatantly rolled her eyes at them as they entered and then picked up a spoon and started her stirring her coffee as she asked, "What do you want now?"

"To know if the girl I asked about has checked in with you yet?" Sam asked politely with his hands folded in front of him. Whatever the secretary had done to him earlier had clearly had an effect on him and this seemed to please the red headed woman.

"She just came and got her schedule about five minutes ago but a word of warning. That girl looks like bad news what with the way she dresses, turning up late on her first day and with a busted up face to top it all off. You'd be smart to keep away." The secretary had a pleased look on her face as if she had just imparted some great wisdom to Sam.

"Wait a second, did you just say she had a busted up face?" Sam said as he felt his worry levels sky rocket again. He found himself pleading in his mind for the secretary to say she had been mistaken and one look across at Brittany's face showed his own feelings mirrored there.

"Yeah, piece of trash like that probably picked a fight with some poor kid on the way here." The woman's lip curled up in disgust at the thought of such a vile human being and Sam had started to see red. He wanted to shout at the woman that his sister was not a piece of trash and that she didn't know the first thing about the girl. Until he remembered that he knew Lucy and not Quinn and so the girl could be a piece of trash for all he knew and it promptly took the wind out of his sails.

All of sudden he felt a soft hand on his shoulder and Brittany stepped in front of him, the picture of calm and collected and asked, "Would you be able to tell us what class Quinn has now?"

The red head looked up when she head the edge in the smooth voice and looked into fiery blue eyes. Not wanting to be intimidated by students she played the only upper hand she had.

"I am afraid that I am not allowed to give that information out to other students as it could be used for bullying purposes so you will just have to wait to see your friend." The woman looked so smug that even Brittany had to refrain from hitting her. Instead she called a sickly sweet, "Well thanks anyway." Over her shoulder as she ushered Sam out of the room in front of her.

As soon as they were out of sight of the glass doors of the office, Sam slumped down against the wall in a now practically deserted hallway and rested his head on his knees. Brittany simply sat down next to him, took his hand in hers and waited for him to speak.

"We don't know her Britt." Sam said quietly but the croak in his voice was noticeable and she realised he had been crying. When he lifted his head up to expose red rimmed eyes she knew he had and let him say all of his piece before she spoke.

"I mean ten years is a long time. People change. Maybe she is a piece of trash who picks fights, I mean look at the way she dresses and Dad never told us why she was moving here just that him and Mom thought it was for the best." He sagged back against the wall and looked at her pleadingly so that she could provide him with some answers.

Brittany was silent and thoughtful for some moments before she responded, "We may not have been with her over the last ten years but she is a part of us. We are triplets. The way she has acted over the last 24 hours certainly doesn't live down to the bad image she projects. She has been sweet and caring since she came back and sure, we don't know what has happened to her to make her want to project the bad-ass image but I do know that Lucy wouldn't hurt a fly unless she had to."

The wisdom of Brittany Susan Evans sometimes scared him. Within thirty seconds she had put things in perspective for him and she was right that they would be able to sense if Quinn was a bad person because they could sense things with each other all the time. On top of that Quinn had been nothing but caring since she arrived and so even though he was feeling hurt from her leaving he knew that he had to try with her.

As if to finally drive the point home she finished with, "And don't forget that you got into a fight yesterday Sammy and you are a good guy."

He smiled a little because she was right and because of the name she called him and said, "You know she still calls me Sammy?"

Brittany matched his smile and put an arm around him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah and it makes me feel like nothing changed, like I never lost my big sister." Sam spoke to his chest with a small smile as if he were embarrassed at what he was saying and Brittany lifted his chin as she replied.

"Well you have her back now so don't waste your opportunity." The girl was a freaking guru, he was once again left reeling as she hopped up off the floor and held out her hands to him to help lift him up. He took the offered help and Brittany pulled him into a standing up hug.

When she pulled away she grabbed his hand and started pulling him down the hallway.

"Where are we going Britt?" Sam asked in confusion wondering if they were going to feed the ducks like they usually did during their free period. The pond was only a five minute drive away from the school.

"We have a sister to find Sammy!"

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think has happened to Quinn? Do you think Sam will be able to forgive her as easily as Brittany did? **

**All shall be revealed...**


	4. Fight Club

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Four

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

"_Are you sure you want to do this Q? We could both end up in hospital or you know...jail." The tall brunette boy asked unsurely as he looked down the dirty steps that led to a doorway with peeling paint and urine pooling at the bottom._

"_I have to do this Dave. I need to find a way to release my anger and even if this isn't legal, its still better than unleashing on some random stranger or worse someone I care about." Quinn said as she ran a hand through her freshly dyed and cut, pink hair and pleaded with her eyes for him to understand._

"_OK then. I'm with you all the way." Dave said as he knuckle bumped Quinn's fist and they headed down the steps trying not to look shifty for the very few people who were walking past at the late hour._

_David Karofsky was Quinn's best friend. She honestly didn't know what she would have done without the big lug. She probably would have been sat in jail at the moment if it hadn't been for his support after Russell left and even now he was still supporting her by coming with her to the most dangerous part of town. _

"_Are you sure you are OK with the possibility of getting your ass kicked?" Quinn asked half jokingly but with a serious edge that told Dave that if he wasn't cool with doing what they were about to do then they would both leave._

"_Oh, I will be the only one doing the ass kicking tonight." Dave promised as he rested his hand on the slightly sticky door handle and pulled it open to let Quinn go through first like the gentleman he was._

_They were automatically hit by the overwhelming smell of vodka, crack and urine and Quinn could see the apprehension written all over Dave's face but she really felt she needed to do this. They had walked into a dingy looking bar with the tables pushed back into the corners and a chalk circle drawn in the middle of the floor which both men and women were starting to congregate around. It was obvious that everyone in the crowd planned on fighting tonight as they were all bare chested or in training bras._

_One man with a badly shaved head, tattoos all over his body and a bad case of body odour walked over to them with a growl ready on his lips. He drew himself to his full height and came a couple of inches shorter than Dave and about an inch taller than Quinn, but he still looked menacing to the larger boy._

"_What are you two doing here, this is private property." The man practically barked at them and Quinn and Dave looked at each other and immediately decided that Quinn would talk and Dave would be the silent muscle standing behind her._

"_We were told that this was the place to come if we wanted a fight." Quinn stated with a level tone that she hoped seemed disinterested. The man's eyebrows rose so far up his head she was sure that they would have hit where his hairline was supposed to be. He had every right to be shocked though as it wasn't every day that two 16 year old try to join your fight club._

"_Too young, get the hell out." The man said harshly and then turned around to rejoin the group of people behind him._

"_You should give us a chance." Quinn said simply and tried to keep the desperation out of her voice. It obviously worked as the man turned back around to appraise the pair._

"_You are just kids, its illegal." He stated and raised his eyebrows in challenge._

"_Like what you are doing here is legal." Quinn challenged straight back and a smirk flashed briefly across his face._

"_You got some good fight in you. You and your friend can get ready over there and watch a couple rounds before we let you in." Quinn and Dave went over to the table he pointed to and put their stuff on the chairs as he walked back, "Oh and the name is Tony. How about you two, I'm going to need to know what to put on your headstones?" _

"_Quinn and this is Dave." Quinn said not looking at him as she took her shirt off to reveal a training bra and Dave took his off to reveal his bare chest so that they fitted in with the crowd. Tony leered at Quinn slightly as she revealed her toned upper body and Quinn gave him a death glare which she had recently perfected. It seemed to do the trick as he held up his hands in defeat._

"_Well Quinn, you got the next fight because one of regulars has to bail early but still wants to get a little action." Tony said as he pointed to a blonde about five inches taller than her and with a tightly muscled body that far exceeded her own lightly ripped body._

"_Good luck." Tony said with a tight smile as he went to join his group again and as soon as his back was turned he murmured, "You are going to need it fighting Lana." _

_Quinn gulped loudly but knew that she couldn't back down now and so she tried to mentally psych herself up for her impending battle. She started doing stretches and Dave joined her then leaned over to whisper in her ear, "His name's Tony just like the musical and I bet if he grew his hair out he would look just the same as the actor." He sounded excited as he always did when he talked about musicals and Quinn looked around wearily to make sure that nobody heard him then stood up and pulled him further away from the people now fighting in the circle._

"_Dave your gay is showing and you can't let that happen in a place like this. These people would tear apart a gay guy faster than you can blink. I don't want to see you get hurt for a stupid reason like that." Quinn said sincerely as she rested a hand on his bare, toned shoulder._

"_So why did you bring me to a fight club?" Dave asked jokingly._

"_So we could kick some ass, starting with that blonde bitch over there!" _

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Quinn had been in a lot of fights in her life. The first one had been against a women named Lana who, despite all of Quinn's bravado, had her on her back and gasping for air within five seconds. Since then Quinn had taken a far more thoughtful and reserved approach towards fighting that usually meant that she ended up winning as she could out think her opponent. She knew the right moment to unleash her aggression.

The majority of these fights however had occurred in the fight club that her and Dave had joined and therefore it had only ever been one on one so when it came to no rules fighting, Quinn found herself at a bit of a disadvantage.

Not to be put down though, Quinn did have some experience but there is one rule to fighting in fight club that is just assumed and so nobody ever mentions it and its a rule that can be so drastically ignored on the streets.

Don't use weapons.

It was a rule that is almost never followed when you fight on the streets and the one on one thing very rarely happens. Quinn had been in one or two fights outside of the club but that had always been with Dave for back up and the numbers had always been fairly good.

Three on one was definitely not good especially when the guy that stood at the front of the little pack was twirling a knife between his fingers with a dirty grin on his face.

Quinn really didn't want to fight. She knew that Brittany and maybe even Sam would start to worry about her soon and especially if she turned up looking like she had been in a fight. On top of that she only had about a half an hour before she needed to be at school and she was still incredibly lost but she knew that there wasn't going to be an easy way out of this little skirmish and so prepared herself for the fight.

"Well look at what we have here. A wannabe punk who thinks its OK to walk down dark alleys because she is tough enough to handle anything. Am I right sweetheart?" The leader smirked at her, exposing yellow teeth to the early morning sunlight.

She couldn't help but scoff at what he had said. Yes, she had walked down the alleyway but it wasn't dark and they were in the middle of Suburban Lima.

_For pity's sake I can see a kid playing in their front yard from here, where do they think they are?_

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard an angry snarl come from a chubby guy stood behind the leader on his left. "You answer when you are spoken to." He growled and took a menacing step forward which was stopped by the greasy looking guy who stood next to him.

"Can we get this over with, unlike you losers I actually have a life to be getting on with." All three looked angry at her insult and she smirked lightly at their reaction. She had learned a lot of things from fighting in Tony's bar and the main things were tips from the man himself. One such tip was that an angry opponent is a clumsy opponent and therefore more easily defeated. Its why there was so much smack talk during a fight, to throw a person off their game.

"Give us your back pack." The leader said threateningly, seemingly fed up with beating around the bush.

"Oh if I had known you guys had wanted to improve your maths skills I would have just given you my textbook. I know it must be hard being as stupid as you are." Quinn said as she reached around to her bag, pretending to be reaching for the book. The leader acted just as she wanted as he mumbled, "Why you..." Then seeing her exposed side, he took a few steps towards her with his knife outstretched.

_Wow, I guess he really doesn't know how to use that thing. Holding his knife out like that just makes it that much more simple for me to knock it out of his hand. This is going to be too easy._

As he got within her reach she pulled the bag off her shoulder and swung it into his hand and the knife went clattering to the ground. As he got over the shock of so quickly losing his weapon, Quinn advanced on him and delivered a kick to his balls then, when he fell to the floor cupping the damaged area, she kneed him in the face and he slumped to the floor, passed out cold.

She then turned to face the two remaining attackers who were stood in their original positions, taking in the scene with gormless looks on their faces, not quite seeming to understand what was going on. They seemed to both come awake at the same time then both rushed at her but managed to get in each others way and tripped over each other. Quinn had to fight back a laugh and resist the urge to look for cameras in case she was being punked.

As they were distracted, Quinn ran to pick up her back pack and was about to sprint away from he alley when she felt a large bulk crash into her side and push her into the alley wall. The greasy guy had tackled her and was led on top of her as he regained his breathe and Quinn felt blood trickle down the side of her face that had scraped across the wall.

She immediately started to struggle and with a well placed move she kicked him off of her and he went sprawling off to the side as the chubby guy rushed at her.

The fear of being squashed to death had never really entered into Quinn's mind until she saw three hundred pounds of sweaty man running at her. Again she was proved to be having amazing luck as all she had to do was move to the side and the man ran into the wall, knocking himself unconscious in the process. This time she did look for cameras.

She got to her feet at the same time that greasy guy did. She was hoping that he would see that he was on his own and would run away but the sight of his fallen comrades just seemed to make the man angrier as he once again tackled her to the floor, using his strength advantage and punched her in the face a couple of times before she could think to respond.

Her mind was getting hazy and so she just pushed at him with all the strength she could muster and she caught him off balance and he was pushed off. She got up on her hands and knees but the world was full on spinning and she found she couldn't move much further.

The next thing she felt was a kick to the stomach as greasy guy got back up and she felt her back hit the alley wall.

Using the thing that had always been her biggest advantage, her speed, she quickly got to her feet just as the man was about to kick her again and he kicked the wall. As he stumbled around clutching at his now broken foot, Quinn stepped over to him and punched him in the face.

Once again she felt she was lucky as the man passed out as his head hit the floor. Hard.

Deciding it was best that she got the hell out of there before the guys woke up, she stumbled to the mouth of the alleyway and then promptly threw up. She felt a little clearer after that and she remembered her back pack before she starting jogging away, unknown to her and very luckily, in the direction of the school.

* * *

Rachel was fairly sure that nothing that could happen today could be more shocking than the news of the existence of Lucy Evans but that was until a beaten up looking Quinn Fabray stumbled into her second period classroom, muttering apologies to the teacher and then sat down in the free seat next to Rachel, with her hood covering most of her face.

The brunette looked on in shock as Quinn practically collapsed on the desk as the teacher and the rest of the class continued to stare and she was sure that the girl had passed out until she heard her smooth voice speaking to the teacher.

"I am a new student Sir and I apologize for interrupting your lesson. Please continue." Rachel didn't have to be facing Quinn to picture the charming smile she was using on Mr Henderson right now and it clearly worked as the teacher gave her an accepting smile after a few doubtful seconds and went back to his lesson.

The pink haired girl fell back into her seat, pulled down her hood and shot Rachel a grin that looked pained as it stretched the cut up right cheek of her face and the deep split on her lip. Rachel gasped as she took in the damage and noticed that much of Quinn's face was still bleeding.

"At least now I can answer the 'where do I go to school' question." Quinn said lightly as she leaned towards Rachel but seemed to think better of it as she grabbed her stomach and winced at the movement.

"Quinn you really need to go to see the nurse at the very least but I think the hospital may be the more appropriate option." Rachel whispered seriously as the teacher turned his back and she let her eyes roam over the once flawless face.

"I'm fine Rach, I've lived through a hell of a lot worse." Rachel was almost too afraid to ask when she had suffered worse and the opportunity to ask was lost when Mr Henderson turned back around.

When the bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson, Rachel felt the need to try again. "Please Quinn let me take you to see the nurse." Quinn looked like she was about to disagree again but then she stood up and began to wobble precariously. Rachel reached forward and put her hands on Quinn's hips to steady her and once the pink haired girl got her balance, she smirked down at Rachel.

"If you wanted to touch me you could have just asked." Rachel felt herself blush and removed her hands but grabbed one of Quinn's in her own and started leading her to the nurse's office. Quinn didn't protest again and Rachel felt herself worry that the girl must be in some pain if she had so quickly swallowed her pride.

In just a few moments Quinn found herself led on a examination bed with an ice pack on her face and a nervous Rachel Berry holding her hand. Despite the blaring pain in her face, Quinn couldn't help but notice how perfectly Rachel's small hand fit in her own and she smiled slightly at the thought.

"What is so funny?" Rachel asked softly as the nurse moved around the room look for some antiseptic to clean her face with.

"I just don't understand why you care about me enough to bring me here. Don't get me wrong, I like it but I can't understand it. I mean after all, I am a stranger to you." Quinn matched Rachel's soft tone as she spoke and gave her a piercing look through the eye that hadn't started to swell up.

Rachel looked down at her lap and let her hair fall to hide her face and shield the embarrassment that was evident on her cheeks. If she was being honest with herself she would say that she wasn't sure as to the reason. It may have been that she had a crush on the girl or that she was just a genuinely nice person but either way she probably did care more than she should have after only meeting the girl yesterday.

"I would like to think that we are friends Quinn, even though we haven't known each other long, therefore it would be my duty to make sure you are OK." Rachel said, finally looking up from her lap just as the nurse walked back over to them and started treating Quinn's face which had a gentle smile spread across it.

"Could you refill this ice pack from the cafeteria for me sweetie." The white haired woman asked Rachel kindly and the brunette immediately took the pack and walked out of the room to fulfil her duty, with one last reassuring look at Quinn.

Quinn gasped a little at the sting from the liquid being applied to her face and the nurse tried to distract her from the pain by chatting to her constantly.

"So have you met up with those kids that were looking for you yet?" The elderly nurse asked.

"What do you mean? Who was looking for me?" Quinn asked and started to push herself off the bed but the woman simply pushed her back down and carried on her work.

"Two blonde kids came by looking for a girl who had been beaten up and that sounds like you to me." The woman said with a chuckle as she lightly dried Quinn's face of the excess liquid.

Two blonde kids sounded like Sam and Brittany and Quinn wondered how they had found out what had happened but the curiosity was overwhelmed by the fact that they both cared about her enough to come looking for her. It was a love that she hadn't felt since Russell left or since Dave had been around and one she certainly had never felt from her mother.

It made her feel warm inside and made a big dopey grin spread across her face as Rachel came back in with the fresh icepack.

"Did you give her some pain medication?" Rachel asked as she stopped in the doorway, looking at Quinn.

"No why?" The nurse asked with a confused expression and as soon as Quinn realised why Rachel had asked, she dropped the dopey expression causing Rachel to mumble, "Never mind."

The nurse nodded and took the icepack which she gently laid on Quinn's ruined cheek and black eye and started to give her instructions.

"OK so I won't bandage it because that would be awkward to place and the fresh air will be more beneficial for it anyway but I want you to make sure that it stays clean. There is nothing I can do about the bruises on your back and stomach but just keep an eye on them. I don't think any ribs are broken but it does look like you took quite a kicking so go easy on yourself. Oh and you are not to get into any more fights. Promise me Miss Fabray." The nurse adopted a stern glare which made Quinn gulp and nod quickly to show her agreement with the whole speech.

"Good, you can go back to your classes now but be careful." She spun around with a final glare which made both girls scurry from the room and Quinn dropped the ice pack on a table as she left.

"Well I have a lesson now Quinn so we will have to part ways but please don't get into any more trouble whilst I'm gone." Rachel teased and Quinn got a fake offended look on her face.

"What are you implying Miss Berry?" Quinn continued the joke as they walked down the empty hallway together.

"I'm not saying anything, I just think your face says everything." Rachel said, gesturing to the red marks sprawled across Quinn's right cheek.

"I'll be safe Rach." Quinn promised as they reached the door to Rachel's class although frankly it was so far past the bell that Quinn didn't see the point in going, which was why she wasn't planning on going to her lesson.

Rachel seemed to hesitate just before the door and she quickly turned and pulled Quinn down into a hug, being careful not to touch her face apart from Quinn's uninjured left cheek, where she rested the side of her head.

Neither girl seemed to want to break the hug and Quinn felt more at ease from the simple embrace than she had in a long time and tightened her arms around the petite brunette. After a few long moments Rachel leaned up and whispered, "I'm glad you're OK Quinn." Before she pulled back and walked into her classroom without a glance back.

_I really need a cigarette._

She wandered out onto the sports fields as underneath the bleachers had been a favourite smoking spot of students back in her old school but she secretly hoped that nobody would be there so that she could have a smoke in peace. Her luck had apparently run out with her earlier fight as there were three girls sitting on a couple of threadbare sofas being shielded from the morning sunlight by the plastic of the bleachers.

They were automatically suspicious of her as soon as she came into their eye line but she tried to just ignore them whilst she pulled a cigarette and a lighter out of her bag and felt her frazzled nerves soothed with the first few puffs.

"What are you doing here?" One skinny brunette girl asked as she stood up with her hands on her hips, facing Quinn.

"Just having a smoke." Quinn said calmly and illustrated her point by taking another puff.

"Well you can't do it here, this is the Skanks' lair." The girl said proudly and the two girls behind her nodded vigorously.

"You going to kick me out?" Quinn asked, finally facing the girls and positioning her body correctly as the possibility of another fight was on the horizon. Then she remembered Rachel's request and found her body relaxing from her ready position as she didn't plan on breaking any more promises.

"I would just love to be the second person to kick your ass today." The skinny girl stated with a malicious grin as the other two girls positioned themselves on her flanks.

Quinn leaned back against the concrete support pillar, showing that she wasn't intending on fighting but she watched the girls out of the corner of her eye as she spoke, "You know these injuries came from a fight I had against three men, one of which had a knife so I would think twice before you take me on." Quinn stated it casually and the larger brunette to the right of her leader sneered at what she perceived as a threat.

The skinny girl however could see that Quinn wasn't boasting, she was actually warning them. It made her hesitate for a moment and the girl who had sneered shouted, "What are you waiting for Mack? Crush her!"

Quinn interrupted before Mack could decide what she wanted to do.

"Hey, I'm not looking for a fight, just a quite place to have a cigarette. If you want me to leave I will but I don't mean any harm." Quinn dropped her cigarette to the floor and stubbed it out, showing that she was prepared to leave and raised her hands to show she meant no harm. The sneering girl looked like she wanted to tear into Quinn and Mack just looked unsure but then the third member of their group, an African American girl, cut in.

"I like her." She stated simply then turned to the sneering girl, "We are going to let her stay Ronnie." Ronnie looked murderous but seemingly taking the lead of her fellow skank, Mack stepped up to the brunette and fixed her with a steely gaze. After a few moments Ronnie backed down and the tension in the three girls shoulders melted.

"So what's your name?" Mack asked, turning back around to face her.

"Quinn Fabray." Quinn responded, taking a small step towards the group.

"Well Fabray...welcome to the club." She swore those words weren't supposed to sound ominous.

* * *

Lunch was interesting.

Firstly everyone was staring at her which was slightly disconcerting but it only lasted for a few minutes. Then there was the issue of where she should sit. She saw a table of cheerleaders with Brittany sat in their midst, a table of football players with Sam, a table with the three Skanks spread out and throwing food at other kids and then finally, the most appealing option, which was Rachel sat with a group of mismatched kids.

Her feet made the decision before she could and she and her tray made her way over to Rachel's table, not caring if Sam could see her or not.

Her arrival warranted a multitude of different reactions ranging from fear to curiosity to happiness. The happiness was only coming from Rachel but it made Quinn think that it was totally worth it to have chosen to sit at the table.

"Oh Quinn, I was hoping you would sit here with us although I am sure you had plenty of other offers as it appeared that you were choosing between various tables. I'm just really glad you choose this table as perhaps you could become used to my fellow Glee Club members and then perhaps join our club at a later stage as we always need new members. Can you sing?" Rachel rambled on in her excitement and the other occupants of the table rolled their eyes and tuned her out until she was finished and then they could open up their questioning.

Quinn on her part was in what she would later call a Rachel proximity induced haze. She found herself staring at the tiny brunette as Rachel moved closer to her as she spoke, gesturing wildly and with cute crinkles on her face. She found herself silently staring at the girl for a few moments after Rachel had asked her question.

"Quinn, it is incredibly rude to not answer a person's question." Rachel pouted as she folded her arms and stomped her foot from her seated position. It seemed liked an awkward manoeuvre and Rachel frowned when it didn't have the impact she wanted.

"Sorry Rach, that was just too cute." Quinn said honestly as she contained her desire to just hug the adorable girl.

The reaction to her first sentence was pretty instantaneous. Rachel blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, shyly and everyone else at the table looked up from their food in shock that anyone would find the annoying diva cute.

"Hello, Quinn is it?" A brunette boy with impeccable fashion sense asked and Quinn nodded so he continued, "Kurt Hummel." They shook hands and then Kurt folded his hands under his chin with a confused look and asked, "Did you call Rachel cute? Then my second question would be, are you crazy?" He was dead serious and Rachel looked down at her lap in shame and she muttered, "That's a little harsh Kurt."

On Quinn's part she was furious that Rachel supposed friend was putting the girl down like that and she had to restrain herself from striking out with her fists as was her go to response. Instead she spoke in a deadly controlled voice.

"Hummel was it?" She asked, mocking him slightly.

"Kurt," Kurt replied lightly but he saw something he didn't like in her eyes.

"Well _Hummel_, I have to ask why you are sat at the table with Rachel if you don't like her?" The table had gone silent as they all watched the impending smack down and Rachel had a put a calming hand on Quinn's thigh to keep her from doing anything she would regret and Quinn shot her a grateful glance for the action which drew a small smile from the girl.

It was crazy how Rachel already understood her well enough to know that she needed the restraining hand and to know that she would defend the brunette. It was also baffling to Quinn that just one touch from the girl calmed her down when not even Dave had been able to manage that.

The well coiffed boy looked shocked at the question and spluttered as he answered, "Of course I like Rachel, we are team-mates, not to mention friends."

"Could have fooled me. What kind of a jerk treats his friends that way, I mean you just tore her down in front of a complete stranger." Once the boy looked suitably chastised she turned to Rachel as she spoke to the entire group.

"I do happen to think that she is cute, not to mention gorgeous and I do have to admit that the rambling was absolutely adorable." She saw Rachel's face light up as each word passed her lips and she wanted to give herself a pat on the back for making her smile again.

An awkward tension descended over the group which was broken by Kurt lifting his chin and saying, "I can admit when I am wrong, I was out of line Rachel, please forgive me?" It sounded genuine enough and Rachel accepted the apology with a content smile.

"Hey, I don't want to start out on a bad foot Hummel. How about we start from scratch?" Quinn asked as she offered her hand to the boy with an easy going smile on her face.

"I would like that." Kurt replied simply and took the offered hand before everyone breathed a sigh of relief and returned to their meal all wondering if Quinn was gay because that was what her actions were screaming.

"You never answered my question Quinn, can you sing?" Rachel asked excitedly and everyone else at the table looked up for the answer as well. She noticed with some pleasure that Rachel still had her hand on her thigh and was emphasizing important points when she spoke by squeezing it. It sent a chill through her every time.

"Kind of." Quinn answered vaguely.

"What do you mean kind of?" A boy in a wheelchair probed gently.

"Well I used to sing and play in a band but all we did was Rock and Indie stuff so I'm not sure I have the kind of voice you need in a Glee Club." Quinn said uncertainly as her mind was drawn back to the band. She had loved it at first. It was a chance to spend time with her best friend and just play music like they had both wanted to but it had turned out to be the start of something terrible and Quinn just couldn't look at those times in the positive light she should have. That band had led to a lot of trouble, trouble that had ripped her life apart and gotten her sent to Lima and trouble that she needed to forget.

"That will be perfect actually Quinn as Noah has a rock voice but has no female equivalent for that genre should we ever decide to perform a duet for that type of music in a competition. You should start practising your auditions song and then you and Noah should immediately start work on a number of rock duets that I could already imagine would be perfect for you two." As she came to the end of another excitement induced rant, she realised that everyone had tuned out as usual except for Quinn who was looking at her with a softness in her eyes that at first she thought was adoration.

_Well she did say she thought I was adorable maybe that is what that look is._ Rachel mused and she realised that she wasn't the only one who had noticed Quinn' look as she could see Sam stamping across to their table with a storm brewing in his eyes.

Quinn seemed to notice where Rachel was looking and looked up just as her brother made it over to them and looked down at her with a fire in his eyes which was masking a deep seated hurt. It was all Quinn could ever see when she looked at him since she came back. The pain she had caused.

"How's it going Sammy?" Quinn asked lightly, taking a bite of the bacon cheeseburger on her plate, knowing that she wouldn't have a chance to eat any more of her lunch as the blonde boy had clearly come over for only one reason.

"We need to talk." As she had predicted and his voice sounded very controlled so she didn't want up to see the look on his face. She took a sip of her drink before she got up and stood a couple inches shorter than Sam.

"Anything you want." Quinn said with a happy tone but the seriousness of her words were not missed by anybody that heard them and it set everyone's minds abuzz at why the most popular guy in school seemed so affected by the new kid.

Sam nodded slightly and then led the way out of the cafeteria and with a sigh she trailed after him, shooting a quick wave at the table she had previously occupied, wincing at the potential painfulness of the impending conversation.

She didn't notice any of the eyes that followed them out of the cafeteria.

* * *

**A/N: Please review...**


	5. Heart To Heart

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Five

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for not updating in a while and updates may be slow for a while because I have started University and the workload is already crazy.**

**Also I guess I earn the T rating in this chapter with a little bit of swearing but nothing too bad I don't think. Enjoy...**

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_Everybody has those defining moments in their lives that they will always remember, even when they are old and grey and sitting in a run down nursing home. They are the times that set you on a path that change your whole life and make you into a person that you never thought you could be, doing things you never thought you would have a chance to do and so that is why these moments are ingrained into a person's mind long after everything else has gone._

_Many people would have said that one of those moments for Quinn was when Russell left and she took a downturn that eventually led to the incident. Quinn did agree that when that had happened, it had changed her and led her to make some questionable choices but there was a different moment in her life that she would have said changed everything and which led to the incident that would tear her life apart._

_It started off with something very simple. Her and Dave had wanted to start a band and all they needed was a lead guitarist and, although Quinn disagreed as she thought Dave had a good voice, a male vocalist to match Quinn._

_That was why they were sat in a small, run down coffee shop waiting for the only guy who had responded to their flyer to show up so that they could ask him some questions and see if he was good enough._

_They sat on a small sofa at the far end of the room, sipping at their drinks and watching the few inhabitants of the shop mill around or chat casually. Looking back Quinn realised that maybe it had been a warning when she had gotten a bad feeling about the meeting or when she felt a strong desire to leave and never look back. If she had believed in God she might have thought he was trying to help her avoid a path that would lead to the worst day of her life, but as she didn't believe she simply chalked it down to nerves and waited for the mysterious guitarist to arrive._

_After waiting for about half an hour she was just about to ask Dave if he wanted to leave when all of a sudden the light bulb at the front of the shop shattered into a million pieces with a loud bang echoing off the walls as the half a dozen occupants screamed and the owner rushed to see what had happened._

_One by one the lights shattered with a thunderous noise as accompaniment until they were left with only the remains of the natural light coming from the window which gave the room a murky darkness as dusk was descending. There was general panic as most of the customers attempted to flee what they assumed was a haunted shop however as the first panicked looking woman made it to the door she realised it was locked and promptly fainted._

_The man behind her who Quinn assumed was her husband, cradled the woman's head in his lap and shouted at the owner, Mr Miller, "What the hell are you playing at by locking the door?" _

_Mr Miller looked shocked and attempted to open the door himself only to come to the same conclusion. He turned back to the now angry crowd and called out, "I didn't lock it, something is blocking it on the other side." _

_Anger turned to fear that was only intensified as a deep voice sounded across the room, amplified by a microphone which Quinn could only imagine was stolen from the small karaoke machine set on the small stage next to them at the back of the room._

"_Get ready for the most thrilling experience of your pitiful lives!" It sounded like a threat and a few people screamed at the words and one guy tried kicking down the door. Quinn and Dave found themselves stood up next to their table with their backs against the wall. There was no obvious way out so they readied themselves for a fight and scanned the entire coffee shop with a careful eye so that they could see where their attacker would come from._

_As soon as the man's voice had stopped, music started playing over the same system he had used to project his voice and the door to the back room slammed open to reveal a tall lanky boy with spiky brunette hair carrying an acoustic guitar which he played in time to the music. When the time came he started singing along as well and positioned himself on the stage and then tried to work the crowd like he was at a big rock concert._

_Even to this day Quinn could not remember what the song was that he sang. It was something rocky and upbeat and his voice sounded like honey when he sang but all Quinn could remember looking back on that day was that it was the first time she had ever met Sebastian Smythe. It was the beginning of the end though she hadn't known that and all she could see were dark clouds covering everything in her memory of that day._

_The crowd soon seemed to realise that it had been some type of practical joke and soon began to complain loudly about what was happening. Although she didn't realise the very present danger that those people were in for heckling Sebastian at that time, looking back she realised that if he hadn't already been close to the end of his song then a lot of people may have died that day. As it was all she saw was a boy trying to make a scene._

_When the song came to a close he took a bow and then walked off the stage towards Quinn and Dave as Mr Miller ushered the people out of the back exit held in the storeroom, casting the evil eye at the boy stood in front of the duo._

"_So what did you think?" Sebastian asked with an excited gleam in his eyes and a hopeful smile on his face._

_Quinn and Dave looked at each other and communicated silently for a few moments. They had been friends for nearly ten years, since she had moved to Cleveland, and so they very rarely had to actually speak to let the other know what they were thinking._

"_It was an amazing performance." Dave said after a few seconds. They had decided it would be a little 'good cop, bad cop' and Dave didn't have a bad bone in his body so he took the good cop. _

"_Well thank you very much big guy." He shot Dave a charming smile and Dave blushed a little under the attention. Quinn didn't like the almost predatory look the guitarist was giving her best friend and so she quickly drew the attention away from him to give him chance to recover from the first time a guy had flirted with him._

"_What did you do to the lights?" Quinn asked carefully gesturing to the shattered glass that was covering the floor like a blanket. His eyebrows raised as he looked at the mess as if he was only just seeing it for the first time._

"_Oh...I shot them out." He said easily and with the same charming smile he had used on Dave, only for Quinn it didn't work._

"_What do you mean, like with a BB gun?" Quinn asked doubtfully as she remembered the noise the shots had made and how she had never heard a BB gun make such a powerful noise. He nodded his head so vigorously that it looked like it would shake loose and his eyes widened. _

"_Oh yes of course. I just couldn't find the light switch and I can pay for the bulbs I just wanted to make a good first impression and to make sure that the audience stayed so that you would know I was good." He gestured to the front door from which scraping noises were coming from and Quinn imagined that Mr Miller was on the other side, clearing the entrance. _

_His wide innocent eyes mixed with his gentle smile and non threatening body language made both Quinn and Dave think that they had just overreacted to what Sebastian had done. You never tend to think the worst of people even if you are only meeting them for the first time._

"_Well you are incredibly talented so I think we would like you to be in our band, if you would like to be?" Dave asked and Sebastian started jumping up and down in his excitement, squealing and he pulled Dave into a bear hug in the process which Dave seemed to enjoy immensely. _

_Quinn couldn't help but feel slightly reluctant but when she saw the confidence in Dave's face over his decision and the joyful look in Sebastian's, she just knew she wasn't going to protest. She trusted her best friend. _

_At that moment the front door opened and the owner walked in looking quite annoyed._

"_Well I am going to go and make this right with the owner but I will text you to find out when our first practice is and where." Sebastian stated as he gave both Dave and Quinn a kiss on the forehead and quickly walked over to Mr Miller, ushering him into the back room so they could talk. _

_Quinn ignored the flash of a real gun tucked into Sebastian's belt by telling herself that he had a very realistic looking BB gun and they both left the coffee shop for the last time because a few days later it went up for sale. They would have asked someone about it but they never bumped into Mr Miller to ask him why he was giving up on his pride and joy._

_If Quinn had looked in the newspaper the following day, though she never read the newspaper now that she was a punk, she would have found the answers she was looking for in the headline of the main page._

_Steven Miller had been shot and killed that afternoon in what the Police were assuming was a robbery gone wrong. There were no suspects or witnesses. The unknown murderer walked free._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Quinn could only see Sam's back as they walked through the corridors and the tense lines of the muscles there and she briefly worried for his stress levels. She made no attempt to catch up to him as he walked her to a doorway that led down to the basement in complete silence and then, once they were surrounded by the dark, dankness of the basement, Sam moved over to a pile of desks stacked in the corner and with a little effort, moved them to the side to reveal a rusted door with peeling paint.

The steps led up this time and there were more flights than they had walked down and eventually the siblings stepped out on to the roof of McKinley high school.

The sun was positioned directly above them in the sky making the gravel underneath their feet heat up and give off an unpleasant smell which Sam appeared to ignore as he walked over to three deck chairs positioned around a couple of the old desks that she had seen in the basement.

He promptly took the seat on the far right and took in the view of some of the nearby houses and a mountain in the distance. It seemed fitting that Quinn take the seat on the far left so that they could look at each other over the table if they turned their heads.

They both sat in silence for a few moments as Sam collected his thoughts and Quinn waited for him to talk.

"You know, I stole these chairs from my own back garden last year and Dad still hasn't noticed that they're gone. I could freaking take the sofa to put up here and as long as he had his drink and wasn't interrupted then he would just happily sit on the floor." Sam remained staring straight ahead as he spoke but Quinn turned to take in his profile which was generally relaxed. Quinn couldn't help but think that Sam was ready to open up to her and that was why he brought her to his little hide away.

He was opening up to her about an issue that was really bothering him and although it wasn't what she had wanted to talk about when she followed him, she did still want to help.

She took her time as she thought about his words and tried to formulate a good response. She didn't like Dwight and was tempted to just rip into the man but she knew that Sam worshipped him which was why the drinking affected him so much and so tearing him down wouldn't be the right way to go.

"You don't deserve that Sam." Quinn said carefully.

"I didn't deserve a lot of things." He said, looking down at his lap with a hint of venom in his voice. It was obvious he was talking about Quinn leaving and she wasn't sure what to say. Neither of them had ever been very good with words so she changed the subject.

"How did you find this place?" Quinn asked and Sam went back to looking at the scenery as he responded with very little interest in his voice as if his own story bored him. Or as if he was angry Quinn had avoided the topic.

"I had a Saturday detention for insulting a teacher who was too sensitive and the janitor had me clean out the basement. When I stumbled on this place I knew it would be the perfect place for me to get away." Emotion finally came back into his voice when he continued, "And you know how we used to love to be as high off the ground as possible."

The smile on his face was painful to look at but Quinn kept on looking even when he made eye contact for the first time because she needed him to see the sincerity in her words.

"I am so sorry Sam."

He looked at her for a long moment before he said simply, "Good." Then turned away from her as a trail of moisture carved its way down his cheek. She wanted to say something more but no words would come and then he changed the topic so she guessed that he wasn't really ready to talk in depth.

"You lied to me last night. You said you didn't know Rachel but then today you were sitting with her at lunch." Sam said accusingly, his eyes now dried. Quinn sighed and ran a hand through her hair before she responded.

"Look, I am sorry that I said I didn't know Rachel but I didn't follow you to her house yesterday. I had met her earlier in the day and then I was walking past her house and I wanted to talk to her. We talked for a bit then when you came to the house I left." Quinn explained and by this point they were both sat sideways on their chairs, facing each other.

"So did you have anything to do with that old man who was attacked with a knife?" Sam pried further as he leaned closer to Quinn, eager to get answers.

"I didn't attack him, he sneaked up on me and managed to wrap that pipe around me. There was some shears on the floor so I picked them up and cut myself out because he had knotted up the pipe then he started screaming that I was going to attack him. I just ran away." When she finished she rested her arms on the table between them and looked off into the distance at the vague shape that was the cheerleaders practising on the field for the second part of lunch. She thought it was particularly unfair that Brittany and the other girls only got half a lunch time because their coach was crazy and didn't want them to eat anyway.

She was brought back to Sam as he said, "But why did he say you were loitering outside the house?" She wasn't sure what he was trying to get at or if he was just trying to let a little of his frustration out but either way, Quinn decided that honesty was the best policy.

"I was hoping to walk home with you after you left. We needed to talk...we still need to talk." Quinn said seriously.

"About what?" Sam was on his feet and his face was a mixture of pain and anger. "About how you don't care about us? How we meant nothing to you?" He started to pace back and forth and Quinn stood slowly but didn't move to him. All of a sudden he stopped his pacing and got close to Quinn as he jabbed an accusing finger into Quinn's chest and said in a low voice that was full of vulnerability, "I just can't hear that sort of thing from you Quinn."

He slumped his shoulders as the fight seemed to go out of him and he started to move towards the door.

"Sam." Quinn called out and he stopped walking but didn't turn to face her. "You two are all I have left in the world. You mean everything to me."

His murmured words reached her ears even though she wasn't sure if they were meant to.

"I wish I could believe you."

Then he was gone.

* * *

It didn't take her long to decide to follow him and she soon found herself crashing down the darkened steps that led to the basement in an attempt to catch up with her brother. She managed to avoid any major injuries and eventually made it into the main hallway, making sure to cover up the door as Sam had before she left, and saw the boy stood at his locker talking to Brittany and Rachel. Well they were talking and he was having a staring contest with the insides of his locker.

She was walking over to approach them in the now semi crowded hallway when a huge body jammed itself into her side and as she was completely unprepared, she went sprawling against the locker with a bang that echoed down the hallways and drew the attention of the trio by Sam's locker.

The look of shock and also slight fear appeared on their faces and Quinn looked up into the face of her attacker to see why. It looked like half the hockey team had come to give her a beat down.

She really didn't want two fights in one day, especially not when the numbers were six against one but she realised the possibility that she may not have a choice and struggled to her feet despite the pain that had never really left, flared up again in her back.

"We don't want dykes like you in this school and we need to show you that we aren't going to stand for your presence here." The lead jock, she remembered his name was Azimio and presumably the one who had crashed into her, grunted with a pleased expression as if he was enjoying the prospect of hitting a girl. He probably _was_ enjoying the prospect.

"You want me gone?" Quinn asked, sticking her chin in the air defiantly as all the boys nodded and all the occupants of the hallway looked on with horrified silence at the scene before them.

"Then you are going to have to make me." Quinn said and lowered herself into her ready position as the boys happily took up the challenge.

If Quinn had been religious she would have sent a prayer of thanks to God that the Neanderthals underestimated her and so only the lumbering leader started to come at her. As soon as the boy was in arms reach of Quinn he had started swinging his arms violently in her direction making it only too easy for Quinn to dip underneath them and deliver a winding blow in the stomach.

Unfortunately that made his arms come down to protect his stomach and Quinn didn't have enough time to get out of the way before his thick arm hit her on the top of the head and she stumbled back to the lockers, leaning against them as she recovered.

The whole process had taken only a few seconds and she saw Sam sprinting down the hallway towards her, with panic clearly etched across his features. As soon as he got to her he let her lean on him as he confronted the jocks.

"You really think beating on a girl is OK ass-hole?" He practically screamed in their faces.

"I would hardly call that a girl." Azimio sneered, causing all of his little minions to chuckle behind him.

It was the first time she had felt a bond between herself and another person when fighting since she had been with Dave, so she soaked in the feeling as her and Sam looked at each other for a few moments. They came to an understanding and it was really like they could read each others minds temporarily as Quinn pulled away from Sam and they put a few steps between them as they turned to face the hockey players and Quinn gave Sam a nod, signalling that she was ready.

"Maybe, but I would definitely call you a girl, DICKLESS!" Sam spat with venom in Azimio's direction and the response was immediate and exactly what they had predicted and needed. Jocks were known for their anger management issues after all.

She had managed to share her fighting motto with Sam just through eye contact, that a angry opponent is a clumsy opponent.

Azimio surged forward and grabbed Sam by the collar, having a significant height and weight advantage over the blonde boy, and slammed him back into the lockers. Quinn moved forward to help when, once again, she felt herself getting shoved into the lockers and her shoulder banged into the metal with such force that she felt it pop out of its socket.

She fell to the floor, gasping and grabbing at the wounded appendage, when the guy who had bashed into her, grabbed the front of her shirt and lifted her off the floor so that she was dangling in the air.

From the chanting of the crowd she learned that the guy with the mullet that was holding her was called Rick and a look across saw that Sam was in the same position as her with Azimio but with multiple cuts on his face from the large boy's ring clad fist.

Her awkward position against the lockers was putting a lot of pressure on her shoulder and despite having dislocated it many times before, it was still causing her a massive amount of pain. She knew she had to do something before Rick started to cause her some real damage and so she lashed out with her knee so that she hit him hard in the junk.

He dropped her and they both crumpled to the floor but Quinn shot straight up, intending to go and help her brother. It turned out that he didn't need it as he had taken Quinn's example and had kicked Azimio a second after she had done the same to Rick.

With both boys splayed across the floor and the rest of the team looking on in a stupor at their fallen comrades, it was then that the teachers decided to intervene. Of course they decided that as Quinn and Sam were the two looking like they had been in a fight and were still standing that it was obviously their fault and tried to usher them to the Principals office whilst the two hockey players were taken to see the nurse and the rest of the crowd disbanded.

Rachel and Brittany were the only two that stayed and they both were looking on with worry whilst trying to explain that Quinn and Sam had done nothing wrong but the teachers, especially Mr Schue, didn't want to listen.

Quinn was brought back to reality when a teacher grabbed her dislocated shoulder and pulled in an attempt to take her to the office. She couldn't help it, she screamed.

It made everyone stop whilst Quinn leaned in on herself and caught her breath then walked over to the lockers and placed her shoulder against it at a specific angle.

"Sammy, would you be so kind?"

He automatically realised that she wanted him to pop the shoulder back in and he braced his hands on her shoulder and arm with a quiet, "This is gonna hurt OK?" whispered into her ear to which she nodded and rested her head against the locker.

In a swift and seemingly practised movement, Sam jutted her arm back whilst pushing her shoulder into the locker and the joint fell back into place and Quinn felt very proud of herself as she hadn't screamed that time.

Everyone else winced at the abrupt and seemingly painful movement and those who had had it happen to them looked on with sympathy as she turned back around and put a grateful hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Thank you Sammy." She meant it as more than just for popping her shoulder back in and he nodded his head in recognition of that fact as they both walked in silence behind Mr Schue.

Just outside the office Mr Schue turned to face the pair with a scolding look on his face that was mostly directed at Sam.

"You are in a lot of trouble. This could mean suspension for you Sam, second time in two days that you have hurt innocent people." Sam looked down in what looked like shame but she could see the worry etched into his face over the possible suspension.

As for Quinn, she kind of saw red.

"You have got to be kidding me right? Are you an idiot or do you just look like one?" Quinn asked incredulously and completely seriously.

Schue looked shocked and she continued on. "Those two boys assaulted me and were about to do who knows what else. Sam defended me from those brutes and he is the one getting in trouble. They cut up Sam's face, dislocated my shoulder and we get suspended for kicking them in the nuts to make them let us go?"

Schue eyes were wide and his mouth was open as if he had never had his stupidity pointed out so obviously before.

"William get the hell out of here and close your mouth before flies start to land there." Real fear flitted across the man's features and he tried not run as he sped off in the opposite direction without casting a glance behind him as he went.

A tall blonde woman wearing a track suit was now standing where Schue had been standing and was looking at Quinn with something close to amusement in her eyes.

"Name?" She ordered.

"Quinn Fabray." Quinn lifted her chin up as she spoke to the intimidating woman and she saw the woman's eye light up as she took in the pink haired girl.

"I like you Fabray. You hate William, you aren't afraid to tell him off and if your badly died roots are any inclination you are naturally blonde. You remind me of a young Sue Sylvester." The woman spoke succinctly and Quinn couldn't help but feel that the older woman was paying her a compliment.

She looked across at Sam and saw that he looked terrified and was avoiding eye contact with the imposing blonde.

"Well then you were listening to what I said and agree that we shouldn't be punished." Quinn stated with confidence and the woman smiled at her.

"Oh you are just like me Fabray. You two are free to go and those two Neanderthals will be punished for the damage they caused." Sylvester replied easily and started staring at Sam just because it was so obvious it made him uncomfortable. This woman had a mean streak.

"Thank you Miss Sylvester." Quinn responded and pulled at Sam's arm so that they could leave with an appreciative nod in the blonde woman's direction.

"No, its Coach Sylvester." Sue called to her with a twinkle in her eye.

"Coach of what?" Quinn asked. The mysterious way Sue had said it made her stop with curiosity.

"You will find out soon Fabray." She spoke cryptically and ominously before walking off in the opposite direction.

The siblings stared after the anomaly that was Coach Sue Sylvester for a few moments before they started walking down the hallway again, in silence, until they stopped outside the nurse's office so that Sam could have his face attended to. It had yet to stop bleeding and his lips were swelling up even more from a particularly nasty looking cut.

He spotted Rachel and Brittany walking down the hall towards them so he quickly said what he wanted to.

"Thanks for defending me, I could have gotten in a lot of trouble." He spoke quietly and was staring at his scuffed up vans as he spoke.

"I'm here for you now." Quinn promised in the same low tone and Sam simply nodded and disappeared into the nurse's office without another word as the two girls reached them.

"Oh Quinn are you OK because that shoulder injury looked incredibly painful and I am fairly sure you could sue Rick for what he did to you although that would be terribly time consuming and..." Rachel's rant tailed off as Brittany, in her boredom, surged forward and wrapped Quinn in a bear hug. Truth be told she wanted to feel if Quinn was OK.

"I'm glad you are OK Quinnie." Brittany said simply as the bell signalling the end of the class they had all missed, rang and students started to fill the hallways and were giving their group some weird looks.

"You know Quinn?" Rachel asked with confusion and the hint of something else flashing in her eyes which, if Quinn hadn't known better, she would have said was jealousy.

Before Brittany could respond the angry form of Santana Lopez came storming up to the group and pulled Brittany out of the hug and into her open arms.

Brittany gladly fell into her girlfriend's embrace and smiled contentedly as the Latina glared at Quinn.

"Who are you other than the full size version of Brittany's troll doll?" Santana asked abruptly to which both Rachel and Brittany scolded her but Quinn didn't mind. She'd been called worse.

"Quinn Fabray and who are you?" Quinn asked, not bothering to offer her hand, knowing that the brunette wouldn't take it. Rachel and Brittany were now stood to the side of the two girls who were sort of facing off and watched on in fascination.

"Santana Lopez, Brittany's girlfriend." She said with a possessive edge to her voice and Quinn excepted that Brittany was gay fairly easily as it kind of fitted the girl's personality. Besides it would be hypocritical to not be accepting when she was gay herself.

Then a realisation hit her that she was supposed to be playing the role of a big sister and so should probably be protective and give Santana a hard time to make sure she was good enough for Brittany. She wasn't really sure how to do it but she was trying to make an effort to be there for both of her siblings and so she felt she had to do it.

Brittany seemed to be able to read her thoughts as she clapped her hands together and said excitedly, "Oh look Quinnie is going to get all protective."

Brittany obviously wanted her to do this and so she started feeling a little bit of performance anxiety as if big sister was a role she was about to play and not who she actually was however she ignored the excited noises coming from Brittany and the slightly wounded looks coming from Rachel to stare at the girl in front of her.

"Uh you better...be good to...I mean treat her..." She looked at Brittany in exasperation as she just couldn't seem to get the swing of it.

"Go on Quinnie, try again, you can do it." Brittany encouraged and the two brunettes looked at her strangely.

"What are you doing Britt?" Santana asked trying not to show her hurt as Brittany seemingly encouraged another woman to fight for her.

"Give her a chance San." Brittany said with her eyes still on Quinn and the other two girls looked in that direction expectantly.

The pink haired girl closed her eyes, took a deep breath and thought about how much she loved her sister and wanted to make sure she was happy. Once she started to concentrate on her own emotions the words came easier.

"If you hurt her or don't treat her like a freaking Queen then I will hunt you down and trust me when I say that I could totally take you and I could make your life miserable." As she finished her threatening speech she looked to Brittany to see if she had done alright and the blonde was practically beaming at her.

"Who the hell are you to say stuff like that to me? I've known Brittany for years and you are just the new kid." Santana said with disbelief and a little outrage and she took a threatening step towards Quinn which was cut off by Brittany.

Quinn was confused that Brittany's girlfriend didn't know who she was but she shouldn't have expected Brittany to talk about her, it was a painful subject after all. In the pause between the question and the answer, which was actually a fairly long time, Rachel added, "I would also like to know exactly who you are Quinn because you seem to have a very strange relationship with Sam and Brittany." She had her hands on her hips as she stared up at Quinn and Brittany was giving her a reassuring smile.

Quinn sighed and couldn't help but wish that the day was over already because she already been beaten up twice, had a heart to heart with Sam, started a new school and did the big sister speech with Santana. She really wanted to go to sleep but it was only half way through the day.

"Well my name is Quinn Fabray and I don't know if this helps but my name used to be Lucy Evans." Quinn spoke quietly and she watched as Rachel's face lit up with shock as she obviously made the connection.

"No way...you-you are nothing like I imagined." Rachel stated and her eyes darted across Quinn's face as if trying to find any similarities between Quinn and her two best friends.

She took it as a compliment that Brittany had told Rachel about her but didn't allow herself to dwell on that fact just yet. When she turned and saw Santana's still confused face she decided to elaborate further.

"I'm Sam and Brittany's older sister."

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**A/N: OK so I just wanted to state that Sue does not coach Cheerleading but a different sport that she is already interested in recruiting Quinn into. **

**Anyone who can guess what she coaches will be awesome in my eyes...**


	6. Sing You A Song

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Six

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**A/N: Wow guys, there was quite a few reviews last chapter so thanks. **

**Just to give you a heads up, this chapter has some domestic violence in it and a little swearing but I am sure it stays within the T rating.**

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_FLASHBACK_

_When Sebastian had come barrelling into her life she felt a need to keep him away from Dave with a protective instinct she had only ever felt before for Sam and Brittany._

_It proved to be a more difficult task then she could have ever predicted as Dave had developed a crush on the boy and for the first time it was on somebody who liked him back. He had never flirted with guys before and had it returned and so it was completely new territory for her best friend, who was struggling to maintain his cool._

_Quinn was worried and when she took her concerns to her mother the woman had immediately laughed her off. The only time she looked away from pouring copious amounts of wine into a large wine glass was to give her oldest daughter a pitying look as she spoke condescendingly. _

"_Oh is my little Quinn jealous that she hasn't got all of that boy's attention any more?" Judy cooed and took a gulp from the bottle before she returned it to the fridge and took her large, full glass into her hands, looking at it worshipfully._

"_I'm not jealous that Sebastian is taking Dave's attention, I'm worried that he is going too fast into whatever this thing is. He has no experience with guys and I am worried that he doesn't know what he is doing!" Quinn found herself nearly shouting by the end but Judy still didn't look at her._

_If Quinn was honest, a large part of the reason she didn't like how fast Dave was going was because she didn't trust Sebastian. Dave could go that fast with anyone else and she would only be minimally worried but there was something different about Sebastian and she couldn't quite understand it._

"_Maybe you need to ask him out if you are that afraid of losing him." Judy said lightly before she tipped back her glass and started chugging the liquid._

_Quinn closed her eyes so that she could try to control the rage that was building up inside her. Judy had yet to except that both Quinn and Dave were gay and was under the impression that they liked each other when in reality the big lug was like a second brother to Quinn. _

_Judy, being brought up a strict Christian, had been unable to accept Quinn as gay and simply ignored it and the things that she couldn't ignore she drank away. Her avoidance would have infuriated Quinn in the past but she had long since stopped caring about the ways of Judith Jenkins and just accepted that she was never going to have the supportive mother that she had once craved._

_When she opened her eyes again, Judy was gone._

_She sighed and contemplated drinking the rest of the bottle of wine her mother had left before the doorbell rang, effectively eliminating her escapist thoughts._

_Dave was at the door giving her the charming smile that he used when he wanted something and Quinn beckoned him in with a fake dramatic sigh and they took a seat in the living room._

"_Do what do I owe the pleasure David?" She said in a posh British accent which made the brunette boy grin at her._

"_Well you see Quinneth, I have an idea which I need your help to carry out." Dave said, mimicking her accent._

"_I would be delighted to help dear boy." Quinn said honestly and Dave looked relieved and then played with his fingers for a few moments as he tried to find a way to phrase what he wanted to say._

"_I want to perform a song for Sebastian." Dave blurted out and Quinn felt herself freeze a little. Not at the idea because it was a nice romantic idea but at the look in Dave's eye when he spoke about the smaller brunette. It was pure infatuation and she wasn't sure that she liked Sebastian having that kind of control over her best friend._

"_What do you want to sing and what do you want me to do?" Quinn asked. She wasn't committing, she was just gathering more information._

"_I want to sing, 'I'll stand by you' by the Pretenders and I want you to play the piano in the background for me to make it more intimate." Dave spoke hesitantly and with the hopeful look on his face that Quinn knew she wouldn't be able to resist but Quinn still knew that she had to at least voice her opinion before she gave in._

"_That is a quite a song Dave, it sends a very powerful message don't you think? I mean you have only known the guy for a little over a month and you are already singing love songs." Quinn said in the gentlest way possible so as to not hurt his feelings._

"_I know but his parents have been really distant with him lately and his Grandma died a few days ago so I just want to show him that there are people who care about him and want to help." Dave sounded so impassioned that Quinn realised that it would be foolish to try to fight any more and so she agreed. _

_Dave rushed at her and hugged her in his gratitude then left claiming that he had to be home for dinner but not before giving her another massive hug and whispering thank you in her ear._

"_Any time." She whispered as she watched his truck drive away down the street._

_She felt her emotions were getting to the tipping point and so she decided to call the one person she felt she could really trust and get advice from._

"_Fabray." He answered the phone after only a few rings and from the formal greeting, Quinn could tell that he hadn't looked at the caller ID._

"_Hey Dad, I'm sorry to bother you at work but I really needed someone to talk to." The vulnerability was pouring out of her voice and across town in his office, Russell closed the door so that he could give his daughter all the attention she needed. It didn't matter to him that she wasn't technically his step daughter since the divorce, she would always be his daughter in his mind and he knew that Quinn felt the same way._

"_What's wrong sweetie, you know you can always talk to me." Russell said in his soothing, fatherly voice._

"_Dad, I'm worried about Dave." She then went on to tell him everything, including the fact that she didn't trust Sebastian. He listened carefully adding questions occasionally until he was finally up to date and he sat back in his office chair and ran a hand through his thinning blonde hair._

"_Well Quinnie I think the only thing you can do is what Dave has asked you to do but that doesn't mean you can't keep an eye on this Sebastian character. Protect Dave as best you can but trust him to make his own decisions." Russell said wisely._

"_So do you think I should trust Sebastian?" Quinn asked, knowing that if anybody knew the answer to that question, it would be her father._

"_No, definitely not Quinnie, that boy sounds like trouble and you need to keep an eye on him."_

_Russell Fabray proved to be a very wise man indeed._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"I didn't know you had a sister?" Santana said to Brittany after Quinn gave her little revelation. There was a questioning tone to her voice as if the Latina wanted to know why Brittany had held back such an important piece of information from her.

"I do and we can talk about it later." Brittany said decisively. She didn't want Santana to feel hurt about not being told about Quinn but there was quite a story to tell and she didn't want to tell it in a hallway. Besides she also didn't want to hurt Quinn by telling Santana that the only reason she never mentioned it was because it hurt too much.

Santana searched her clear blue eyes for a few moments then nodded and grabbed Brittany's hand to pull her towards their next class. Just a few steps down the hallway however and she turned back to look at Quinn with a thoughtful expression.

"I guess I understand why you said that stuff. Brittany was trying to get you to be the protective big sister that she wanted and I appreciate that you want the best for her but don't ever question my love for Brittany again or we will have problems. Understood?" Santana asked and raised her eyebrows, daring Quinn to fight against her.

Quinn had no such intentions, in fact she was happy that Brittany had someone strong willed who loved her and would protect her. She appreciated Santana Lopez a lot more in that moment.

A small smile flitted around her lips as she said back, "Understood."

Santana could see that she had impressed Quinn with the way she had stuck up for Brittany. She didn't want it to but it had made her feel good to know that she was in Brittany's older sister's good books. She had only just met the pink haired girl but she could see how important she was to Brittany and so she wanted the love of her life's family to like her.

She sent a small smile back and abruptly turned and dragged Brittany off down the hallway with the blonde shouting, "Bye Quinnie, bye Rachie!" As she left.

Rachel rolled her eyes then turned to look at the punk next to her who she was now looking at in a completely different light.

"You should probably get to class Rach, the late bell is going to go in like a few seconds." Quinn stated as she peered at her watch, trying to avoid the warm chocolate eyes she would undoubtedly get lost in if she were to look up.

"You aren't going to class?" Rachel questioned.

"No I think I need another smoke." Quinn stated dryly, looking at the doors to exit the school wistfully.

"Well I actually have a free period right now so how about we go to the auditorium instead and we can talk a bit and maybe practice your audition song for glee club?" Rachel proposed and with one look into her beautiful eyes and then down at her pouting lips, Quinn knew she was going to say yes.

"Sounds great." Quinn exclaimed honestly and she linked her fingers with Rachel's and let the little brunette lead the way to the auditorium. Both of the girls felt a thrum of electricity come alive in them, seeming to initiate from their clasped hands and they shuddered at the delicious feeling.

When they made their way into the darkened room they both let out a sigh of relief that they were completely alone and could act however they wanted with each other. Rachel's soft footsteps echoed off of the wooden flooring of the stage and Quinn realised she had lead them so that they were stood centre stage.

Rachel looked out at the empty and shadowy seats that filled the hall and seemed to get some kind of strength from them as she turned to look at Quinn who had just been watching her.

"So you are Lucy Evans." She stated and Quinn nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" Rachel asked slightly hurt that Quinn hadn't mentioned something so vital.

Quinn sighed and pulled Rachel to sit down on the edge of the stage with them facing each other.

"I didn't mention it because firstly I didn't know if you were aware that Sam and Brittany were triplets and it isn't really my place to give that information to their best friend. I barely know them any more." Quinn ran a hand through her choppy pink hair and looked out on the seats as she continued, "As well as that, there is the fact that I am not Lucy Evans any more."

Rachel reached out and took one of Quinn's hands, which had been wringing the edge of her t-shirt and Quinn looked up into her large brown eyes.

"Who is Lucy?" Rachel asked gently and almost as if it were a rhetorical question except the look on her face said that she was expecting an answer. Quinn took her time to think before answering.

"She was the little blonde girl who her father hated and her siblings loved. She was the little girl who wiped away Brittany's tears when Dwight ignored her and who would hold Sam when he would shake in fear as our parents fought." She looked down at Rachel with tear filled eyes as she finished, "And she is the girl that _promised _Sam and Brittany that she wouldn't leave them behind, that she would find a way to stay close to them. She is the girl that broke her promise."

Quinn couldn't hold it in any longer. Her self hatred for leaving behind the two most important people in her life was rising to the surface and left her with tears streaming down her face and her heart breaking at the damage she had inflicted.

Rachel reached out and with a mumbled, "Oh Quinn," pulled the oldest Evans sibling into her arms and let Quinn's cheek rest on her chest as the punk cried out her sorrow and pain.

As soon as Rachel had been told about Lucy this morning she had automatically been curious as to why the girl hadn't been with Sam and Brittany whilst they grew up. She really wanted to know the reason but hadn't wanted to ask the two blondes because it looked like the topic caused the two blondes pain to talk about.

It had made her angry at Lucy, the girl she thought she didn't know.

Now, even though she still didn't know why Quinn had left and broken her promise, she couldn't feel that anger any more because it was all too obvious that Quinn was in pain because of what had happened as well. And Rachel was a firm believer in second chances.

It took her only a few minutes to get her crying under control and she immediately felt embarrassed for breaking down in front of Rachel and so pulled away from the girl and released her now damp shirt.

Rachel wouldn't let her go far though and kept her close by wrapping her smaller hands around both of Quinn's. When the pink haired girl left out a few sniffles, Rachel felt her heart melt a little and raised one hand to meet Quinn's face.

Quinn pressed her cheek against the hand as Rachel said, "Quinn...I don't know why you left, though I am sure you have your reasons, but you need to try to make it right with them."

"Brittany has already said that she forgives me and has gone back to the way we were before I left but I don't understand how she could forgive me after I abandoned her." Quinn said, pleading with her eyes for Rachel to make sense of the situation.

"She forgave you because you are her family and she loves you. What you did can be forgiven Quinn especially because you are so sorry about it. You just need to forgive yourself now." Rachel stated wisely and Quinn looked at her with wonder.

"You are amazing." Quinn stated simply and so honestly that it made Rachel blush and look away for a moment to compose herself.

"Thank you. So how is Sam taking it, I mean he fought for you today and you guys were talking outside of the cafeteria and nurse's office right?" Rachel said, trying to change the topic onto, what appeared to her, to be Sam's forgiveness of Quinn.

It seemed to make Quinn even more upset as a frown etched itself across her face and she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"I really don't know how I am going to make it up to him. He just doesn't trust me any more and I think that he is just so used to being separated from me that he doesn't know how to let me back in. I have tried talking to him multiple times but we can't seem to really get to the root of our problems." Quinn replied sorrowfully and silence surrounded them for a few moments as Rachel thought about what to say next.

"Maybe you could sing to him?" Rachel suggested slowly after a few moments.

An excited look was spreading across her face as she jumped to her feet and pulled Quinn up with her. "Yes, you have to sing to him, something really heart felt so that he can see how truly sorry you are." Rachel had started to pace in front of Quinn as she mentally ran through a list of appropriate songs in her head but found herself falling short when she realised that she had never heard Quinn sing before.

"Are you sure that would work?" Quinn asked unsurely as the diva stopped pacing directly in front of her and looked up with softness in her eyes.

"You have to try Quinn even if it is only a shot in the dark, though I must say that us glee club members tend to express everything we are dealing with in daily life through song so I think Sam would appreciate that more than you just saying what you feel."

"OK, I'll do it. I have to audition for the club anyway don't I?" Quinn said with a coy smile shot down at the brunette and she tucked a strand of silky brown hair behind her ear.

"Exactly!" Rachel said excitedly as she knew that they were about to get another member and the final one they needed to qualify for Sectionals. "So what do you want to sing?" Rachel asked, preparing to step in with a number of helpful suggestions should Quinn need them.

She looked up at the ceiling of the auditorium for a few moments as she thought and then when the idea came she knew that it was the perfect song to sing. She kept looking up for a few seconds longer after the idea hit to ensure that no more tears leaked out of her eyes as she was reminded of the last time she had been a part of performing that song.

Dave's sweet voice filled her imagination for a few moments and she closed her eyes and let the memory of her best friend fill up her senses.

"Quinn?" Rachel's sweet, questioning voice broke her out of her own mind and she looked back down at the piano slightly behind Rachel's head.

"I know exactly what I am going to play." She spoke softly and then walked purposefully to the piano and took a seat on the wooden bench.

She knew she had to play the song through once to make sure that when she performed it for Sam, no lingering thoughts of Dave were in her mind. She was singing this time for Dave and when she performed in glee club later, it would be all for Sam and Brittany.

Quinn played the opening bars and could see Rachel nodding her head at the appropriateness of the song as she recognised it. As Quinn sang she felt like she was constantly trying to hold back tears because of the memories of the last time she had played this song.

Her passion translated into the music and as she played the last haunting note, the sound of Rachel's steady clapping filled the silence of the auditorium.

Quinn rested her head against the empty music rest in front of her and closed her eyes in an attempt to get her emotions under control.

As silence descended on the darkened room, Quinn could have sworn she heard Dave's smooth voice whisper in her ear, "Thanks Luce."

A hand on her back made her jump as she span around expecting, however foolishly, to see her best friend but was instead greeted with the sight of a Rachel Berry with tears in her eyes.

Quinn quickly stood up and took the smaller girl into her arms as they swapped their earlier positions and Rachel cried on Quinn. "That was beautiful Quinn." Rachel whispered as her tears subsided and they stood, wrapped around each other, with their lips only a few centimetres apart.

They both knew that it was strange to want to kiss someone that you had only met the day before but neither of them cared as they simultaneously moved to fill the small gap between them.

Then the bell rang signalling the end of the lesson and they jumped apart out of shock. When they realised that the sudden sound had only been the bell they both felt the desire to just come back together and kiss each other senseless.

Quinn stared at the diva's plump lips and licked her own as she imagined kissing Rachel and said brunette whimpered at the look in Quinn's eyes but she had to stay strong. The bell signalled the end of the lesson and the start of glee and so if Quinn wanted to sing her song for Sam they needed to leave immediately.

Rachel had never felt so masochistic in her life.

Though it didn't stop her from linking arms with Quinn as she pulled her out of the auditorium in an attempt to keep the pink haired girl close.

Both girls were flushed as they entered the choir room and Santana and Brittany, the only two occupants so far, looked at them knowingly. Mr Schue walked in shortly after them and when he saw it was Quinn still stood in the doorway he seemed to think better of telling her off and simply started to organise his sheet music. Quinn couldn't help but smirk as she took her seat.

One by one the rest of the glee club filtered in and had varying reactions to her being their but the only reaction Quinn really cared about at the moment was Sam's.

When he walked in he stopped in shock at seeing Quinn there and walked over and took the empty to the side of her. Rachel automatically got up to go and talk to Mr Schue to give them some privacy but an African American girl she had sat with at lunch, Mercedes, was giving her the evil eye.

"What are you doing here Quinn?" Sam asked suspiciously and Quinn felt a little relieved, as she had a good chance to look at his face, that his cuts from earlier were looking visibly better. Well they weren't as swollen any more.

"I'm joining glee club. It means a lot to you, Brittany and Rachel so I wanted to support you guys. I was told you only needed one more member to compete in a competition?" Quinn asked and Sam nodded his head as he scoured her face for some sign of deception. Finding none he sat back in his chair as Rachel sat down on the other side of Quinn again and muttered a barely audible thank you in her direction.

"Any time." She murmured back.

"OK guys we have a new member auditioning for us today, Quinn Fabray, so if you want to come down and show us what you've got Quinn?" Mr Schue asked and she nodded and made her way down to the piano.

"May I?" She asked the man sat on the piano bench as she gestured to the instrument.

He simply shrugged, got up and then blended into the background as Quinn took the man's previous seat.

She looked over to Sam and Brittany as she spoke, "I mean every word of this." Then she took a deep breathe and started to play.

_Oh, why you look so sad?  
__Tears are in your eyes  
Come on and come to me now  
Don't be ashamed to cry  
Let me see you through  
'cause I've seen the dark side too  
When the night falls on you  
You don't know what to do  
Nothing you confess  
Could make me love you less_

As she sang the first verse she had mostly been looking down at the keys she was playing because despite her best efforts she was still thinking of the time that she had played whilst Dave sang this song to Sebastian. A few lines in however and she managed to get control enough to look up and she found herself alternating between singing to Sam and singing to Brittany.

_I'll stand by you  
I'll stand by you  
Won't let nobody hurt you  
I'll stand by you_

It was a promise that she had made to the two blondes before but one she had failed to keep, though this time she was determined not to let them down again.

_So if you're mad, get mad  
Don't hold it all inside  
Come on and talk to me now  
Hey, what you got to hide?  
I get angry too  
Well I'm a lot like you_

She found herself mostly singing this part to Sam because she knew he was angry that she had left rather than being upset like Brittany had been. She was so focused on the blonde boy to the side of her that she didn't notice that Mercedes was still glaring at her and Rachel was looking at her adoringly.

_When you're standing at the crossroads  
And don't know which path to choose  
Let me come along  
'cause even if you're wrong  
I'll stand by you  
I'll stand by you  
__Won't let nobody hurt you  
I'll stand by you  
__Take me in, into your darkest hour  
And I'll never desert you  
__I'll stand by you  
_

There was silence for a few seconds as she finished and then almost all of the glee club were on their feet and congratulating her for her performance but her eyes remained locked on the identical pair across the room from her.

The look on his face was the best one she had seen in a long time. It was hope. He was starting to trust her and to hope that things could be the same way they were before. He had believed the words she was trying to tell him via song. A grin spread across her face as she realised Rachel had been right.

"Oh hell no!" Someone suddenly shouted from the other side of the room and the club fell silent and looked over at a fuming Mercedes.

"You can not just traipse in here white girl and sing a love song to my boyfriend and think that I will just let it slide. I don't care if your face is already messed up, I will mess it up again." She pointed a finger threateningly at Quinn and Quinn realised what the song could have seemed like to someone who didn't know that Sam was her brother.

She immediately tried to pacify the angry girl.

"I wasn't singing a love song to hi..." Quinn was interrupted as Mercedes stormed towards her.

"Cedes stop, she's my sister." Sam called out from his position, stood on the risers.

The whole glee club looked between the two in confusion and Brittany added helpfully, "We're triplets."

"I wasn't singing a love song to him," She said to Mercedes then turned to face her siblings, as Sam went to Brittany, and she continued, "I was singing to Sam and Brittany that I am here to stay this time and that I want to be there for both of you, to look out for you, the way that a big sister is supposed to." She found herself taking a few small steps towards them until she was in arms reach.

"I love you both and I am so sorry for leaving." Quinn said softly and she looked down at the ground in shame but her motion was stopped when Brittany drew her into a hug and started laughing.

"I love you too Quinnie." Quinn returned the hug eagerly, desperate to absorb as much comfort as Brittany could offer. Still linked, they turned to Sam who was stood scuffing his shoes on the floor and not quite looking at them.

Quinn held out her arm towards him and asked, "Sammy?"

Before he realised that he had made a conscious decision, he had moved forward and taken Quinn's offered arm and threw his other one over Brittany's shoulders.

They continued in their group hug until Mr Schue broke them out of it by announcing an early end of glee club and by saying that Quinn was now a member of New Directions.

The triplets pulled apart as the rest of the club cleared out until it was just them, Rachel, Santana and Mercedes.

"That was so sweet you guys." Rachel cooed as she rested her hands on Quinn's and Brittany's arms and lingering slightly longer on Quinn's. She may have also squeezed lightly to get a feel but she wouldn't admit it.

"Yeah, yeah, everyone is spewing beautiful magical rainbows, can we go home now cause I need to get my mack on." Santana huffed, already half way to the door and gesturing for Brittany to follow her.

"Sorry guys, I have to have a meeting with Coach Beiste and it may take a while. I totally forgot to warn you guys about it. I will still take you home if you want to wait." Sam said apologetically to those he carpooled with and Santana sighed loudly.

"I can take them home for you if you want Sam?" Mercedes said as she held onto her boyfriend's hand and saw the relief shine in his eyes. Sam really did take his responsibilities seriously and hated to feel as if he had let anyone down.

"That would be great, thank you sweetheart." Sam said, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips before looking at his watch, realising he was late and then sprinting from the room so he wouldn't acquire too much wrath from the imposing football coach.

"So I will see you tomorrow then." Quinn said as she turned to Rachel with a smile on her face.

She expected a similar look off of Rachel but received a worried frown instead. "Why aren't you coming with us?" Rachel asked.

"No room Rach but I'm cool with walking again so don't worry beautiful girl." Quinn said as she ran a finger down Rachel's cheek and watched as the brunette's eyelids fluttered a little despite her obvious desire to keep them open.

"Don't worry!" Rachel ranted as soon as she was out of the haze that Quinn's touch induced. "You were attacked this morning on your way to school and I am just supposed to not worry?" She was nearly shouting and so Quinn came up with an effective plan to get out of the room with out a blow up.

"Don't worry Rach." Quinn said soothingly and then she brushed her lips against her forehead softly and then proceeded to walk out of the door. Quinn was gone by the time Rachel opened her eyes.

"Damn sneaky Fabray." Rachel muttered, her worries not diminished in the slightest.

"Its OK Rach, Sanny can start picking me up for school so Sam will have room in his car to take Quinn, then you won't have to worry." Brittany said calmingly as she wrapped a long arm around the tiny diva's shoulders.

"Thank you Britt, but what about when she walks home tonight? Bad things come in threes you know." Rachel stated as they all made their way out of the choir room.

"Why don't we all go shopping to take your mind off it?" Brittany asked, pleading Rachel with her eyes to say yes. She was just craving some retail therapy.

"Sure, sounds good B." Rachel smiled at the taller girl who gave a squeal of excitement.

As they made it to the parking lot, black and heavy thunder clouds had started spreading across the sky and the rain started to pour down.

The irony that it had been stormy in Lima ever since Quinn Fabray arrived was not lost on Rachel.

* * *

Despite Rachel's foreboding feelings and apart from being soaked through by the time she got home, Quinn made it to the Evans' residence in one piece and made relatively good time. She had gotten lost once but it was only a minor detour and only cost her five minutes.

Sam had still managed to beat her home however as she spotted his car parked in the driveway and she considered whether or not the detour and had actually taken more time than she thought.

The thought was abruptly snatched from her mind when she opened the door and her heart froze. Well they always say that bad things come in threes.

Led on his stomach on the cold, wooden floor of the hallway was Sam with his letterman ripped off and thrown away to the side. The t-shirt underneath was torn open in multiple gashes along his back and red was seeping through the open gaps.

He was facing away from her but from the tense contours of his body it was obvious that he was in a lot of pain but she was frozen in place as the last piece of the puzzle fell into place, making the scene make sense.

Dwight Evans, with his belt swinging in his hand and Sam's blood splattered across the silver metal buckle and brown leather.

The sneer on his face looked almost inhuman as he snorted his disgust and screamed, "FAILURE." At the blonde boy writhing at his feet, still not aware of Quinn's presence.

"P-p-please...Dad." Sam was begging him to stop and suddenly Quinn found herself surging into action.

Dwight snorted his disgust once more at his son's pleas and then lifted his hand to bring down the belt again on Sam's tender back.

Sam closed his eyes in preparation for a blow that never came.

When he opened his eyes it was to see Quinn stood holding Dwight's arm back and with a fire in her eyes that would have made him shrink if it had been directed at him. It was however directed at Dwight who only seemed annoyed that Quinn was stopping him from giving out the punishment.

"Why you little slut, how dare you?" Dwight roared with outrage as he turned his anger towards his daughter. Before he could aim the belt in her direction, she pushed with all her strength until his back hit the wall and he was momentarily winded.

Quinn thanked whoever was listening that the man was drunk and therefore had easily lost his balance as she placed her arm along his throat and rested her knee against his lower stomach.

"You will never touch him again, do you understand you son of a bitch?" She didn't wait for him to answer before punching him in the face in just the right spot so that she heard a crunch and his head hit the stone wall with a dull thud before he crumpled to the floor unconscious.

She turned to look at her brother as soon as she was sure that Dwight was out, to see that the boy was also unconscious.

Quinn fell to her knees next to the bloodied mess that was Sam and gently shook his shoulders.

"Sam, you need to wake up so we can get out of here...Sam it isn't safe here and I can't carry you... He is going to wake up soon!" Quinn was getting more and more desperate as she started screaming at the unconscious blonde and shaking him more violently.

"Sammy wake up, we have to get out of here!"

* * *

**A/N: Cliff hanger! Please review...**


	7. A New Home

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Seven

* * *

**A/N: I realised that I never answered a question from a couple of chapters back and I don't want you guys to think that I would leave you hanging.**

**Yenyankee: Will really wants Sam suspended because he is such a Finn lover and hates what Sam did to him. He is not going to forget the damage done to his golden boy any time soon.**

**I also want to say that in this chapter there is sort of some legal stuff and I want to put a disclaimer out now that I made that stuff up. It has got some logical basis, at least in my mind, but please don't flame me because I don't have Ohio state law quoted.**

**That being said, I hope you enjoy the new chapter...**

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_Sometimes she truly hated herself. _

_When she looked back over the events of the previous six months she realised that she should have known that something was wrong and she should have done something before it was too late._

_Before she was shedding tears over an open grave._

_There had been a lot of signs that Sebastian Smythe was dangerous._

_The first had been at the coffee shop the first time they had met him but she hadn't seen it then. She hadn't wanted to see it. The second was a seemingly normal day after school and once again, Quinn felt like a fool for not doing something that day. However, the thing is that people just never think that the normal looking guy they just met could be capable of something like murder. Most of the time they ignore things that one day they will look back and wished they had done something about._

_It had been about a week since the coffee house incident and they had already had one band practice in Dave's garage in which they had sounded awesome. Only a couple of hours of practice and they already sounded smooth together on their first cover song._

_Though they hadn't known at the time, Sebastian did actually attend North Hill high school the same as Quinn and Dave but they hadn't seen him before. He had transferred from some school in Texas the year previously, for a reason he seemed reluctant to share. After some pestering on Quinn's part, he explained that they had moved because his Dad had gotten a better job offer from some firm in Cleveland. _

_His answer didn't quite ring true to Quinn but the nagging feeling that he was lying was small and easily ignored. His excuse did also explain why Quinn and Dave had yet to come to his house or see his parents._

_It was a Friday after school and Quinn had been waiting for Dave to finish his football practice so that they could go to Dave's house together to have band practice with Sebastian. She had spent her time sat on the bleachers with a book and a cigarette though she made sure to put it out before Dave got close to her because he hated second hand smoke._

_They both made their way out to Dave's car, which she almost always rode to school in due to the fact that Dave didn't like her riding a motorbike. He was supportive of most of the ways she chose to express herself but he wasn't prepared to let her die in a grisly motorcycle accident if he could help it. He didn't even mind that he had to wake up an extra 15 minutes early so that he could pick up Quinn as long as it meant she was safe._

_Dave jumped into the car straight away but the sight of a pair of legs sticking out from underneath a lime green convertible caught her attention and she paused for a moment._

"_What's up?" Dave asked, sticking his head out of the car and looking worriedly at Quinn._

"_Some guy is underneath that car. I wonder what he is doing?" Quinn responded, still looking worriedly at the masculine pair of legs and speaking with an edge to her voice._

_Just as she finished speaking, the guy in question popped out from underneath the car, sliding something swiftly into his pocket and got to his feet. When Sebastian saw them he came sauntering over with a big smile on his face and stopped next to Dave._

_He put his hand on his arm and caressed it gently as he said in a sultry voice, "Well hello handsome, what are you doing here this late because I was under the impression we had a date tonight." _

_Dave blushed and tried to stutter out a reply with the words football and band practice thrown in and Sebastian smirked at the effect he was having on the larger boy._

"_What were you doing under that car?" Quinn asked suspiciously. It was the only tone she seemed to use around the brunette boy and if the brief flash of irritation on his features was anything to go by, Sebastian had also noticed that fact too._

"_Its my car and its broken down so I was trying to fix it but I think its destined to be scrap metal." Sebastian said with a wistful expression on his face that practically had Dave eating out of the palm of his hand._

"_I can take a look at it for you. I know quite a bit about cars." Dave said, puffing his chest out with pride, in an attempt to impress the thinner boy. _

"_Oh its truly dead, trust me but would you be ever so kind as to give me a ride, seeing as we are all going to the same place anyway?" He asked and rested his hand on Dave's still puffed out chest which quivered lightly under the touch._

_Dave nodded his head frantically and hurried to open the door for Sebastian as Quinn got into the passenger seat thinking how it was weird that a car that was only a year old, judging by the license plate, had broken down. _

_It was also weird how Sebastian had the same car as girl who was in their year in North Hill called Missy, if she recalled correctly. _

_Missy had been in the same class as Quinn and Dave since Quinn had first come to Cleveland but she had never really gotten to know her. The first time she had thought about her properly for the past few years had been today when she had been flirting with Dave. Dave had gone along with it because he wasn't ready to come out of the closet yet but it was the first time Quinn had really noticed Missy in years._

_She was fairly certain that Missy drove a similar car but she couldn't for the life of her even remember the girl's last name. Those thoughts were driven out of her mind as Dave drove off and Sebastian immediately started chattering about the latest song he thought they should cover._

_When she came into school the next morning it was to the devastating news that Missy had been in an awful car accident and had been killed. She hadn't known Missy very well and so that was the only news that she had heard and was only really told that there would be a memorial assembly for her. Nothing she had heard had suggested there was foul play involved. She had noticed that Sebastian hadn't seemed particularly upset by the news although he hadn't known her at all so she accepted that he had no reason to be upset over the tragic death of a stranger._

_A few days later, two things happened. _

_The information came to light, although it was not released to the general public, that the brake lines on Missy's car had been cut which had caused in her to go full speed, downhill into a tree and totalled her car, crushing herself inside. _

_The police now suspected foul play._

_The second thing that happened was that Sebastian came to school in a completely different car, claiming that he had recently bought a new one despite the fact that this 'new one' looked suspiciously well used. _

_It really is true that you never suspect the worst in people, even when it is right under your nose._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"Sammy wake up, we have to get out of here!" Quinn screamed at the unconscious boy underneath her and almost passed out with joy open hearing a small groan.

Until she realised that Sam's mouth was closed and she turned to see Dwight moving around slightly as he regained consciousness and let off another moan.

Real fear seeped into her at the thought of being stuck in that house once Dwight came to his senses and she knew that they had to get out of there. She pulled the car keys from Sam's pocket then did the only thing she could think to do.

She lifted Sam up.

She struggled at first to even get him off the ground and he was easily the heaviest thing that she had ever tried to lift but once she had him draped across her and found her balance she found that she was able to take small, shuffling steps towards the door.

Looking back, Quinn attributed the strength that she had shown in that moment, partly to the weight lifting she had participated in for several months but mostly to the surge of adrenaline that came with the need to protect her baby brother.

Once they made it to the doorway and out onto the path towards Sam's car, the rain from the storm quickly soaked through their clothes. Quinn was getting exhausted and Sam was showing no signs of waking up. When heavy, uneven footsteps started to sound, Quinn knew she had only a few seconds to get to the car and started splashing through growing puddles to make it to the vehicle in time.

She mustered up the last of her strength and pushed Sam into the back seat of the car, making sure to move his feet out of the way, then slammed the door shut and ran to the driver's seat just as Dwight stumbled out of the front door, the rain instantly soaking him as well.

"You get back here! You can't take my son!" Dwight shouted in their direction and Quinn's only response was to put her foot down so that the car sped away from the man that they had both once called father.

A few miles away from the house, Quinn pulled into a spot in a quiet car park and turned off the ignition. She pounded her head against the steering wheel a couple of times as she tried to process what had just happened.

Dwight had abused Sam and now it wasn't safe for any of them to go back there. It immediately made her think of Brittany and she reached for her phone and dialled the blonde's number, hoping that it wasn't too late.

"Hey Quinnie, what's up?" Came the bubbly voice from the other end of the phone after a few short rings.

"Britt, I need you to promise me something. Can you do that for me?" Quinn said seriously as her eyes flickered to the rear view mirror to ensure that Dwight hadn't followed them through the waterlogged streets.

"Quinn you're scaring me." Brittany said but Quinn didn't have any time to comfort her, she needed to make sure she stayed safe.

"Brittany promise me." Quinn nearly shouted down the line but held her voice in check.

"I promise." Brittany said quietly.

"Don't go home Britt, no matter what you do. Tell me where you are and I will come get you and explain everything." Quinn spoke with a confidence in her voice that she didn't feel in her heart but she was the only thing keeping her siblings away from danger at the moment so she had to stay strong.

"I'm at the mall, in the food court." Brittany replied and once she mentioned it Quinn realised the distinguishable background noise of shopping teenagers through the phone.

"OK, stay there and I will be there soon." With that she hung up and started the car again, with one last glance in her rear view mirror and straight into dull hazel eyes, open but clouded over with pain.

"Lucy?" Sam asked in a small and strained voice. He cleared his throat a little then continued, "What happened back there?" The pain in his eyes was more than just physical so she knew that he knew exactly what had happened and was asking her to tell him that it had all been a bad dream.

"He hurt you Sam and I am never going to let that happen again. I am going to keep you and Brittany safe." Quinn vowed and Sam nodded his head against the car seat and let his eyes drop closed again, knowing that he was safe.

She took a moment to watch her brother, with his face unguarded, to see how truly young he looked and it just stoked the fire of her anger towards Dwight even more.

Remembering that she had promised Brittany that she would come for her soon and that she was probably worrying the poor girl silly, she threw the car into action and made her way to her sister.

When they pulled into car park she found the first available space and jumped out of the car. Not forgetting her passed out brother in the back seat she pulled open the back door that was next to his shaggy blonde head and whispered into his ear, "Just stay here and rest Sammy and I will get Britt OK."

Not really expecting a response, she dropped a gentle kiss on the damp blonde hair on top of his head and then locked the car behind her as she went in search of another blonde.

Brittany was exactly where she promised Quinn she would be but with an upset looking Rachel and Mercedes and an angry looking Santana.

"Quinnie, what's happening? What was that call about?" Brittany asked as she walked towards her older sister.

"Yeah Fabray you terrified Brittany so you better have a good explanation." Santana threatened. Quinn stopped a few feet from the table, contemplating how much she should tell the group before she decided that she had more important things to worry about than phrasing the situation delicately.

"I don't have time to explain, I came to get you Britt because I have Sam in the car and he needs to get to the hospital." Quinn said succinctly as she began to lead Brittany out of the mall but the rest of the group followed them.

"What's happened to Sam?" Mercedes screeched, causing a few nearby shoppers to turn around in alarm but Rachel rubbed a soothing hand across Mercedes' back and the girl calmed a little.

Quinn turned and looked at them with the purest hatred they had ever seen come from a human being as she said the one word that explained it all.

"Dwight."

They were all speechless as Quinn made her way back to the car and they all followed, the silence only being broken when Mercedes demanded, "I'm coming with you."

"You will have to follow in your own car, Sam is taking up the whole back seat." Quinn stated and the African American girl's protests died when she saw the state of her boyfriend sprawled across the back of his car.

"We will meet you there."

* * *

The first problem presented itself as soon as Sam had been admitted and the Doctors started stitching up the deep gashes in his back.

Health insurance.

They sure as hell weren't using what Dwight provided but they also didn't have enough money to pay cash for the treatment. So once again Quinn used the only option she was left with.

She wrote down her own details on Sam's medical forms only ticking the male box instead of the female one. Quinn was eternally grateful that she had a unisex name and that as far as she knew Sam was still unconscious so that he wouldn't be able to negate her story with his unknowing actions.

The next thing she had to do was phone Russell so that he would not worry if the insurance company contacted him with information that Quinn Fabray had been taken into hospital as well as the fact that he deserved to know where his money was going.

As she stood and returned the forms to the crowded nurse's station, four sets of eyes followed after her curiously, all looking for answers.

"I just need to make a call and then I will answer all of your questions." Quinn promised and then turned to exit the hospital.

"Daddy?" Quinn whispered into the phone when her father's comforting voice filled her senses.

"Quinnie, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly, automatically sensing his daughter's distress.

"Its Dwight Dad...he-he...hurt Sam." He could tell that Quinn wasn't finished but was simply taking a pause in an attempt to keep her emotions in check before she continued, "We are at the hospital right now and...Dad I just didn't know what to do. I couldn't let Dwight know we are here by using his insurance so I wrote down my details...p-please don't be mad." Quinn begged into the phone as she struggled with the tears that were making a valiant attempt to escape from her eyes.

"Quinnie, calm down sweetheart, I am not mad, you did the right thing." Russell comforted the crying girl and she took a breathe of relief at his words.

"Now Quinnie, listen to me carefully because this is going to be a difficult situation and you have to be strong and confident for your siblings, do you understand?" Russell said slowly and clearly.

Quinn nodded her head in response then realised that he couldn't see her and so vocalised her understanding as she watched a car speed into the hospital car park and a mismatched pair of men jump out and run into the hospital. She briefly wondered how many worlds were being blown apart today before Russell carried on talking.

"You can't go back to that house Quinn, now because you are legally emancipated I believe you can claim temporary custody over your brother and sister but if Dwight makes a claim for them then he will undoubtedly be able to take them away even if you go for a trial to assert him as an unfit parent. As long as nobody from child services finds out then you should legally be able to keep them with you without any trouble as if you were an older sibling over the age of 18 which in the eyes of the state, you are." Russell explained carefully and Quinn absorbed every word.

At this moment in time she was more than grateful that she had applied to be emancipated the previous year and that because Russell was the best lawyer in the state, he had been able to call in a few favours and push it through. All because he trusted Quinn and knew she had been unhappy under Judy's verbally abusive and alcoholic thumb. He had to either help her get emancipated and support her himself or lose her to the foster system.

It was a clear choice.

"So will you pay for his health care, just this once, I can find a way to pay you back if you want?" Quinn offered and was rewarded with a throaty chuckle from the other end of the phone.

"No I would never ask that from you Quinn, I'm happy to pay, you know I would do anything for you." Russell stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and to Quinn it was.

"OK thanks Dad, I will talk to you again soon, I have to go and play the big sister role." Quinn said as she glanced back at the imposing white building and the weight of the responsibilities she would be facing hit her.

"Its not a role Quinn, its who you are. Don't forget that." Russell advised.

"I love you Daddy." Quinn said, trying to funnel all of her appreciation for a man who had been there for her for the past 10 years into those few words.

"I love you too sweetheart." And suddenly Quinn felt as if she could do anything.

* * *

They at least waited for her to sit down before they bombarded her with questions. She promptly ignored all of them to ask a question of her own to the two mismatched men who she had earlier seen run into the hospital.

"Who are you two?" She tried to sound polite and succeeded to a degree but the shorter, Jewish looking man still looked a little frustrated and partly offended by her tone.

"We are Rachel's fathers and we rushed to this hospital after receiving a very distressing call from our daughter regarding the health of one of her best friends." The brunette man took a deep breathe and looked like he was about to continue until the taller, African American man put a soothing hand on his shoulder and said to Quinn, "I'm Leroy and this is Hiram and we came to see if we could help." He finished with a smile that automatically put Quinn at ease.

"So I guess that you get your rambling from Hiram then Rach?" Quinn asked playfully, trying to break the tension that had been mounting around the group since she walked back into the waiting room.

The girl blushed and Hiram looked insulted until a deep throaty laugh erupted out of Leroy and both of the other Berry's settled down.

"I like you and I don't even know your name yet." Leroy said with a genuine smile.

"My name is Quinn Fabray." Quinn introduced herself and reached forward to shake each of the Berry men's hands. She was worried Hiram wouldn't take the handshake after he looked at her pale hand for a few moments before taking it and declaring, "A pleasure Miss Fabray."

"He just likes to be dramatic." Rachel sighed into her ear and she shivered despite herself.

"Pot calling the kettle black there Rach." Quinn teased causing Rachel to blush again as Quinn looked on with a fond smile and Leroy burst out laughing again.

"OK enough with the flirting Fabray, we need some answers." Santana demanded as she plopped herself down opposite Quinn.

She sat back in her chair and sighed as she looked around the group at the people who wanted answers and then to Brittany who she was going to look after. Russell's words about staying strong echoed in her head and so she sat forward and explained everything carefully.

"When I got home from school today, Sam was already there and when I went inside...well lets just say that Dwight had been drinking and was unhappy. He was taking it out on Sam when I came in, screaming stuff at him then went to hit him again and I knocked him into the wall then punched him out and got Sam to the car." She was silent for a few moments as she let the information sink in and watched the varying looks of sadness, anger and disgust on people's faces.

"Well Quinn I think it is clear to say that nobody will be going back to the Evans residence any time soon." Leroy started, suggesting something that Quinn wasn't sure that she liked.

"I thank you for your concern Leroy but Sam and Brittany are my responsibility now and I will find a place where they can live safely and be provided for." Quinn said with a confidence she felt didn't belong to her all borne of her pride.

"That is very noble Quinn but they are not your responsibility, you are only 16 and you cannot be expected to take care of them." Leroy hadn't meant it offensively but Quinn had taken it that way. She saw it as an attack on her proficiencies as an older sister.

"I feel it is important to inform you Mr Berry that I have been in contact with my lawyer and he has informed me that in situations such as these, temporary custody of minors usually goes to the next closest adult relative if possible. Judy, their mother, gave up custody 10 years ago and as an emancipated minor, I am considered the next person in line to be their legal guardian unless Mr Evans attempts to claim them back." She spoke professionally but neglected to mention that the 'lawyer' she had mentioned was actually her father.

She had used the same voice that she had developed over the summer that she had helped out at Russell's office when she was speaking to people that she deemed important. It was what she liked to think of as her lawyer's voice although at the time it had been seen as the cute 14 year old girl trying to pretend to be a grown up, now it had the effect she had once desired it to.

"Well it seems you have this well thought out Miss Fabray but do you mind me asking how you are going to support them financially?" Hiram asked in a slightly condescending voice that irked her to no end.

"I have already managed to pay Sam's hospital bills when I was outside making phone calls and I plan to find a job as soon as possible. In the meantime I am sure that my father will cover the costs." Quinn said but found that she was speaking with less and less ice in her voice as the prospect that with her plan, she probably wouldn't finish high school, hit her with full force.

Leroy must have spotted the realisation in her eyes and the subsequent fear as he said honestly, "Well it looks like you have everything under control Quinn but I must ask if you would do me a favour, to ease an ageing man's mind?"

Quinn nodded her head unsurely and he continued, "Would you mind if you, Sam and Brittany came to live with us until you can find something else? I mean don't you want to make sure that your friends get the best." He gestured to Brittany as he spoke and he used the words friends because he wasn't sure of Quinn's relation to them given her different last name.

"We're triplets." Quinn explained and thought over his offer carefully.

"Are you sure you have the room Leroy because I don't want us to be a burden to you." Quinn stated honestly, already won over by the man's kindness and easy going attitude.

"We can find room and I am sure you don't want to put pressure on your father, whoever he is." Hiram answered and showed his obvious confusion over Quinn's use of the word father after she admitted that Dwight was her biological father.

"Of course we can find room Quinn, I wouldn't want you three staying in some dirty motel room." Rachel looked up at her with pleading puppy dog eyes and she rolled her own knowing that the three Berry's had exploited her weaknesses. Russell, Sam and Brittany and then Rachel.

It was low but she realised they had done it for her own good and so she looked to Brittany who nodded her head vigorously and then took the family up on their offer.

"Um when I say my father, I meant Judy's second husband, I consider him more of a father than Dwight ever was." She explained in reference to Hiram's earlier confusion then added onto the end, "He also happens to be the lawyer I was talking about and the one who said he would pay Sam's hospital bills but that will only work as long as Sam says his name is Quinn." She looked down in embarrassment at the end of her sentence.

"Sneaky Fabray, I like it." Santana complimented with a smirk on her face and held out her fist which Quinn bumped.

"Anyone here for Quinn Fabray." A doctor called as he walked out into the waiting room and Quinn smiled sheepishly at the group before she stood, raised her hand and responded, "Over here."

The greying man walked over with a friendly smile and introduced himself.

"My name is Dr Scott and I was the one who stitched up Quinn's back."

"Nice to meet you Doctor I am...Sam...antha...Samantha Evans." She ignored the stiltedness of her own voice and drowned out the quiet chuckles behind her and the Doctor apparently did the same as he looked through a few sheets of paper.

"He has yet to wake up but when he does we will give him some more pain killers and you will be able to take him home. I do however have one concern Miss Evans." The Doctor scratched at the back of his neck before he spoke again, "The marks on his back...they are the kind I have seen many times before and they are the kind I usually report to child services."

Quinn froze, knowing that if he did report this then it would be that much easier for Dwight to take Sam and Brittany away from her, if only temporarily.

"Quinn will no longer be with the man who has made those marks, child services have already handed temporary custody to me as I am the boy's uncle." Leroy spoke surely as he stood up, wrapped a comforting arm around Quinn's shoulders as he lied to the man in front of them.

Seeming placated, the Doctor nodded his head and said, "A nurse will call you when he wakes up, which shouldn't be too much longer. He was unconscious due to pain and we have reduced that pain massively and should see some results shortly." Then he walked off to treat some other patients.

"Thank you." Quinn whispered before they turned back to the group and she got a huge grin before they retook their seats and waited for a certain blonde boy to open his eyes again.

* * *

It took another hour before a nurse came to inform them that they could go and see Sam despite the Doctor's promise that he should have awoken quicker than that. The plump woman did warn them that Sam seemed slightly disorientated and kept calling his own name a lot though they knew that in reality he was calling for his older sister.

They thanked the woman before they agreed that Quinn, Mercedes and Brittany should go and see him first so that they did not overwhelm him by going in, in a large group.

Quinn didn't know what she expected to see when she walked into Sam's room. The dramatic person inside her would have imagined tubes and a messed up looking Sam in a white hospital gown on an uncomfortable looking bed.

Well at least she guessed the uncomfortable bed part right except that he was sat up on it, in normal looking clothes and with the darker patch of bandages on his back visible through a new white t-shirt the hospital had given him. The cuts on his face had obviously been taken care of by the medical staff as well as they were looking a lot less painful and swollen.

Mercedes broke what have surely been an uncomfortable silence by shouting, "Sam!" and running towards her boyfriend and gently pulling him into a hug which he gladly returned. Quinn was glad that no Doctor's were around to here the shouts as Brittany followed about a second behind Mercedes, calling his name as well and they made a group hug on Sam's bed.

Quinn walked over so that she was stood at the end of the bed and she found Sam's hazel eyes locked on hers. He was trying to communicate with her and it was all too clear the question that he wanted the answer to.

_Do they know Dwight did this to me?_

Quinn nodded her head once, minutely but it was enough for Sam to get the message and he sighed loudly which caused the two girls to back away in fear that they had hurt him.

"Oh Sam I was so scared." Mercedes admitted as she took a step back towards the blonde boy and took a hold of his hand. He rubbed his fingers along the skin on the back of her hand soothingly and the girl visibly relaxed under the touch.

"I'm alright 'Cedes." He promised but she looked at him sceptically.

"Sammy, Quinnie found us a new home, we get to live with Rachie, isn't that cool?" Brittany asked, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet in excitement.

"Yeah B, its awesome." Sam said tiredly. He really had tried to muster the appropriate enthusiasm but in his weakened state he just felt a desire to sleep. Quinn seemed to notice this and so took charge.

"OK so the Doctor has said that he will give you some more pain medication and then we can take you home, so I will call him in so we can get you to a nice soft bed." Quinn stated then moved out of the room purposefully in search of a Doctor.

She came back with a nurse a few minutes later who administered the drugs the Doctor had suggested and then after Quinn signed a few forms, they were free to go but not before the nurse called out, "Feel better soon Quinn." Sam shot her a confused look and a small wave as the four of them exited the waiting room with the Berry's and Santana walking along behind.

"Don't worry about it Sammy, its just a technicality to ensure that your hospital bills could be paid." Quinn explained as she sat him in the back seat of his car and Brittany jumped into the front seat as Quinn started the car and followed Leroy's car and Mercedes' car back to Rachel's house.

"I have a question." Sam said groggily and Quinn nodded for him to proceed.

"Why did you sign my forms to have me released Quinn?" His eyes were glazed over from the pills he had taken, he was sprawled in his seat and his speech was sloppy but he managed to look alert enough to have realised what had happened.

"I have taken temporary custody over you and Britt because I am the next, technically adult, member of your family. It means that you do not have to go back to Dwight's house and for now that is completely within my rights to take you two where ever I want." Quinn explained, not taking her eyes off the road once as she spoke. She didn't want to risk any more injuries for any of them that day.

"Sounds good." Sam murmured as his eyes started to drift shut and fairly soon the sound of soft snores was emanating from the back seat.

"I am glad you are here to look after us Quinnie." Brittany admitted softly as she reached across and took the hand which Quinn didn't have on the wheel.

"I am too Britt."

_More than you can possibly imagine._

* * *

Once the three cars pulled up on the Berry's driveway they were confronted with the same problem that Quinn had been confronted with earlier in the day except this time it was dark and the rain had stopped. Also they now had Leroy with them who looked strong enough to pick up Sam on his own but Quinn protested and carried his legs as they both moved him into the house.

The stairs were tricky to navigate but Quinn was determined never to let her brother down again even if it was in something as small as transferring his load to Hiram to carry. With a little more struggle they carried his dead weight into the guest bedroom and dropped him onto the bed carefully.

He didn't stir and Leroy mumbled something about checking on everyone else before leaving the room to give Quinn and the still unconscious Sam, some privacy.

Quinn pulled off his boots with ease and then threw the blanket over the top of him before kneeling down next to his head. She moved a few pieces of messy blonde hair off of his forehead then lightly kissed the cleared space.

"You are safe now Sammy, I will never let him hurt you again." She watched his peaceful face as his chest slowly rose and fell and let the promise echo around Sam's new bedroom.

* * *

About the time the clock in the kitchen struck midnight, Quinn started to hear light footsteps making their way towards her position in the kitchen. As Mercedes and Santana had left hours ago with the demand that they be kept informed and allowed to come back first thing in the morning, Quinn knew it couldn't be them.

Her speculation ceased when the tiny form of Rachel Berry appeared in the doorway and squinted her eyes to make out Quinn's figure sitting in the darkened room.

"Quinn what are you doing up so late and sitting all alone in the dark?" Rachel asked with concern as she took the seat next to Quinn at the kitchen table.

"Just thinking." Quinn answered simply.

"About?" Rachel prompted as she took one of Quinn's hands in both of hers on top of the table and her eyes bore into the side of Quinn's face as the punk continued to look straight ahead.

"About how much has happened in two days. About whether or not Sam and Brittany would have been better off if I had never come back... About whether or not I am doing what is best for them." Quinn spoke quietly into the darkness but with the absence of any other sound, Rachel heard her clearly and her heart broke a little for the pink haired girl with so much responsibility on her shoulders.

"A lot has happened Quinn and this situation will take a lot of getting used to but you can't doubt yourself. You were amazing today and you have made the best decisions you could have for your siblings. You have kept them safe and that is so much more than your parents ever managed to do." Rachel tried to put all the passion she felt into her words but Quinn merely nodded her head sadly and looked as if she didn't truly believe her.

She decided to change her approach and used a finger to gently turn Quinn to face her and once she was looking directly into the shadowy hazel eyes, she started speaking again.

"And just think, if you hadn't come here we would never have met." She said softly as they both started to move closer and gently connected their lips.

It lasted for a few seconds and was just the barest of lip contact but it was a sweet connection that comforted both girls and made both of their bodies feel alive and warm in the cold night.

They moved apart minutely before Quinn took the initiative and dived back in, taking Rachel's plump lower lip between her own and sucking softly. She felt a small whimper come out against her lips and felt a strong desire to slip her tongue into the singer's mouth but resisted the urge as she didn't want to rush things.

When oxygen became and issue they broke apart with a sign and rested their foreheads together.

"I will never be sorry that I met you Rachel." Quinn spoke in a whisper and raised her hand to cup the brunette's cheek before she continued, "I may not know what I am doing or if its for the best but I am so glad I came here and that I found you. That you have stuck with me despite all the crap we have been through since we met. I feel peace when I am around you Rach."

The quiet admittance had Rachel swooning slightly and she bent forward to peck Quinn's lips before she whispered into them, "That's good because I don't plan on letting you go any time soon Quinn."

Rachel could feel Quinn's smile in the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: So we finally have some Faberry action. I hope you don'****t think it was too fast, they won't suddenly be dating or anything. They both just needed the comfort after a worrying day. This chapter will also mark the change in attitude for Sam because he is finally starting to trust Quinn.**

**Oh and next chapter you will find out what Sue coaches! Send in your last guesses to have your name in my book of awesomeness!**

**Hope you enjoyed, please review...**


	8. The Wrestling Team

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Eight

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_3rd March 2012 was a date that Quinn would never forget because it was the day that Russell sat her down and told her that him and Judy were getting a divorce._

_She was angry at first. Mainly for Judy for letting him leave them when she should have clung to the man. He had always been far too nice a person for her. He treated them well and Judy shouldn't have given him up. She was also angry at Russell for deciding to leave and not fighting to stay... fighting to stay with her._

_He was the only person Quinn had ever felt really cared about her as a parent should and the anger that she was going to be left to live on her own with Judy again quickly dissipated into desperation._

_Before she could even thing of pleading with him to stay, he had kissed her forehead and left the house, driving off with all of his things ready packed into the back of his truck. He hadn't even made it to the end of the street before Quinn broke down into tears at her bedroom window._

_They say that when you lose someone you go through the five stages of grief in an order but Quinn didn't believe in that. The main reason for that being because she constantly kept reverting to the anger stage and was never once was in denial._

_She dealt with it the only way she could think of. She gave herself a persona. A person that didn't care about anything because if you don't care then it can't hurt when people inevitably leave you. The day after he left she started getting people to call her Quinn because Quinn was a new person, a stronger person._

_During the next few weeks, Quinn had never been more grateful for her best friend in her life. Dave had managed to keep her from doing anything life threatening whilst still allowing her to do the things she had to do to express herself._

_That was why, the first time she got a tattoo, Dave was sitting at her side and watching over the heavily marked owner of the parlour with a critical eye. He seemed reluctant to be there but he did want to support Quinn and was secretly pleased that the parlour was as clean as he wanted it to be._

"_Stop it with the shifty looks D, you are even making me think you're a cop." Quinn murmured and gave him a quick slap to the stomach._

"_Why would a cop bust a tattoo parlour?" Dave asked with confusion to which Quinn gave him a 'Are you serious?' look._

"_They wouldn't but this place isn't just a tattoo parlour." Quinn stated and emphasized what she was saying with some pointed eye movements until Dave understood._

"_Oh! So that's what that smell is." Dave exclaimed in disgust as he warily searched the shop with his eyes and Quinn burst out laughing at her friend's dramatic behaviour._

"_Well I can definitely tell that you aren't a cop now." The owner, Benny, spoke with a smile as he took a seat next to Quinn and prepared her wrists for the tattoo's._

"_I just wouldn't have thought you were into those kinds of sales from the top quality state of this portion of your business." Dave tried to speak politely but came off a little scared as he took in the size of the tattoo artist's muscles._

_Benny didn't respond and instead turned to Quinn, causing Dave to release a sigh of relief._

"_So what did you want?" He asked with a professional tone._

_Quinn took a piece of paper with six Chinese symbols on it and explained that she wanted the top three on her right wrist and the bottom three on her left wrist. He seemed to think the job was easy enough and started straight away._

_At first Quinn had to grit her teeth at the pain. She had been informed that the wrist was the most painful place to get a tattoo but in her mind it just made them all the more meaningful. After about ten minutes the right wrist was done and Quinn finally relaxed back into the chair and Dave rubbed her arm soothingly._

"_Hey, relax kid, you are doing really well. I have had some people cry when they have their first tattoo especially when its in such a sensitive area." Benny tried to calm her as he cleaned and bandaged the area he had just scarred and started on the second wrist as he explained the ways in which she would have to look after the tattoo's until they were fully healed._

_Quinn could see that Dave was giving Benny his full attention as he didn't want her skin to get infected or anything equally as nasty so she drifted out of the mini seminar for a few seconds although the bald tattoo artist didn't seem to notice._

I know they will probably never see this but I hope that it is a sign to the universe that I will always be thinking about them.

_The thought ran through her mind as she looked up at the ceiling and then proceeded to pay attention to Benny again just as he finished up his work._

"_So do you know what those symbols meant or did you just chose them at random?" Benny asked conversationally as he took her payment for his work._

"_Its traditional Chinese for little brother and little sister." Quinn stated quietly, looking at her feet as her memories threatened to overwhelm her and Benny just nodded his head in agreement of the interpretation._

"_You must really love your family." Benny said with a kind smile that didn't necessarily fit with the heavily tattooed and muscled man's tough guy persona. _

"_I do. Very much." Quinn answered before she left the parlour with a small wave of thanks and with Dave trailing next to her, not sure what to say. _

_With Russell leaving it had seemed to bring up all the issues of separation from people she loved and this was one of the ways Quinn wanted to deal with the loss of the other two thirds of her whole._

_When the tattoo's had healed about five weeks later, Quinn finally felt free enough to stop wearing the loose bracelets she had worn to cover them. By this point she had completely changed her style, dyed her hair pink, had her nose and belly button pierced and, much to Dave's endless frustration, she had taken up smoking._

_At first she had taken up smoking to fit in with her new bad girl image but had quickly found that they calmed her down and soothed her nerves and they became a necessity instead of a habit. _

_The first time Russell saw the freshly healed tattoo's in all their glory it looked like he was about to have a heart attack. _

_He was waiting for Quinn outside of the school one afternoon so that they could spend some time together and Quinn had been reluctantly agreeing to the sessions despite the awkwardness. When she got into the car, he spotted them almost straight away and Quinn found herself in genuine fear for him as he froze and went pale._

"_Dad are you OK?" She nearly shouted it because it legitimately looked like the man was having a heart attack. She found herself so worried that she didn't even care that she had called Russell Dad again for the first time since he left._

"_What have you done Quinn?" He asked softly and with such disappointment in his voice that Quinn had to look away, out of the window, in shame._

"_I needed to do this." She responded simply once she knew he was talking about the tattoo's._

"_Why?" It wasn't judgemental, it was simply curious, like he just wanted to know her thought process._

"_Because I need to remember them. I need to know that I am not alone and that their will always be people who remember me and love me and I know they still do because I remember and love them even after all these years." Quinn was breathing heavy at the end and Russell looked like he understood but asked for clarification anyway._

"_What do they say Quinn?" He asked, continuing in the same gentle tone._

"_Little brother and little sister. They looked the nicest when translated into symbols and I know that you probably don't approve but I really need this." Quinn asked with pleading eyes but she didn't know why she was pleading for acceptance from a man she wasn't supposed to care about any more._

"_I understand Quinnie, I'm not sure I like it but its your body. I will support you no matter what." Russell promised as he reached over and lightly ran his finger along the stained skin of her left wrist as if finally checking to make sure it was real before accepting it._

"_Thank you...Dad." Quinn said tentatively and was rewarded by being pulled into the strong arms of Russell Fabray. _

_It didn't matter that he wasn't with Judy any more, he would always be her father._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Once their rapidly beating hearts had calmed down somewhat after the kiss that they had shared in the kitchen, the exhaustion from the day seemed to sweep over both Quinn and Rachel like a wave.

They both made their way to the staircase where Quinn kissed the back of Rachel's hand as a goodbye and started to walk towards the living room to her impromptu bed on the sofa.

"Quinn...Wait!" Rachel called quietly through the darkness and smiled lightly when the sound of footsteps stopped and she knew that Quinn had done what she had asked.

She took a few steps down the hallway and felt herself fall into Quinn's arms as she tripped over something which couldn't be seen in the dark. Rachel took a few moments to enjoy the sensation and if Quinn's contented sigh was any thing to go by then the pink haired girl was enjoying the moment as well.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Rachel asked in a small voice, lifting her head upwards so that she was speaking into Quinn's chin.

"Brittany is in your bed. It may be crowded with the three of us." Quinn answered with a chuckle as the brunette had clearly forgotten that fact.

"Then I'll stay with you...if-if that's OK?" Rachel questioned shyly.

"I couldn't think of a better way to fall asleep." Quinn responded honestly and she could feel Rachel's beaming smile through the darkness as the brunette took her hand and led her into the living room.

The room was marginally lighter than in the kitchen and hallway as Quinn had kept the curtains open so that she could look at the stars and the moon was shining in, illuminating everything as the earlier rain clouds had passed. It gave the room a beautiful glow which also seeped into Rachel's skin as she went over and lay on the sofa, beckoning Quinn to follow her.

Quinn was more than happy to oblige and she slid in behind Rachel and they both soon scooted together into the middle and wrapped their arms around each other.

"Everything will be OK Quinn." Rachel mumbled into her shoulder and then softly kissed some of the exposed skin there before laying her head on the area.

When Rachel's breathing evened out a few minutes later, Quinn leaned down and kissed the crown of her head and muttered, "I hope so Rach, I really do." Before falling asleep herself.

* * *

Quinn couldn't remember a time when she had slept so well in the past 10 years. It was no secret that the reason was having Rachel in her arms as they slept but what made it even better was waking to find the brunette still in her arms and with a contented smile on her face.

She allowed herself a few moments of watching the petite diva before the sound of pans being clattered in the kitchen helped her to remember that they were not alone in the house and that Rachel's Dads were probably minutes away from interrupting them.

Gently, she ran a hand through the brunette locks of the girl sleeping on her shoulder until her eyelids fluttered open and she slowly realised where she was.

"Good morning." Rachel muttered sleepily and buried her face further into Quinn, to the pink haired girl's delight.

"Good morning beautiful." Quinn leaned down and whispered in Rachel's ear and then kissed the shell of it, causing the brunette to shiver delicately.

Rachel finally seemed to wake up properly and noticed the beams of sunlight coming in through the gap in the curtains which led to a mini panic attack.

"Oh my gosh, what time is it? Are we late for school? I still need to exercise on my elliptical." She had jumped up off of the sofa and was pacing the room as if deciding what she should do first. After a few of the jittery movements, the brunette found herself pulled into Quinn's arms as the punk calmed her without saying a word.

Quinn felt the desire to pull the diva into another kiss like they had shared the previous night but was prevented from carrying out her wish as Leroy stuck his head around the door for the first time that morning and was shocked to see Rachel there.

"Hey Rach, what are you doing down here, isn't this your elliptical time?" The man questioned with confusion on his face as he readjusted the 'star in the making' apron he was wearing that had clearly been custom made for Rachel. Well unless the man had a preference for pink frilly aprons and really who was she to judge if he did?

In response to his question, Rachel detached herself from Quinn's arms rather reluctantly and grabbed her father's arm so that she could look at his watch.

"Of course you are right Daddy, I will start shortly." She said decisively as she walked up the stairs but not before shooting a small smile in Quinn's direction.

"Wake up Sam and Brittany while your at it Rach." Leroy called to the retreating back of his daughter and she nodded her agreement before disappearing into her bedroom.

About a half an hour later the six occupants of the Berry house where sat around the kitchen table, eating the breakfast that Leroy had prepared and chatting casually as if they were one big family.

"So Sam are you planning on going to school today?" Hiram asked conversationally as he bit into a slice of toast.

"I was thinking I should, cause Coach Beiste would kill me if I didn't show up to practice." Sam stated, not waiting to swallow the whole sausage in his mouth before talking.

"Sammy, I don't think that is the best idea, I mean you are only just healing and we don't want to you to put any strain on your back too soon." Quinn said gently and everyone stopped eating to see how Sam would take the direction from Quinn.

His face was a myriad of emotions which ranged from uncertainty over whether he should take the advice, to fear of his Coach but the one that Quinn chose to focus on was the little bit of happiness that shone in his eyes when she proved that she cared.

"I think that it might be a good idea for you to sit today out Sam just to give you a little extra time to heal." Leroy spoke up before Sam could respond to back up Quinn a little and hopefully prevent an awkward family fight.

Sam didn't take his eyes off Quinn as Leroy spoke but once he had finished, the blonde boy agreed to what the older members of the group wanted with a nod of his head and a peaceful look on his face.

"You can take my car and drive everyone then Quinn." Sam stated and she could see that he was glad that she wasn't going to be walking to school, especially after the events of the previous morning.

Quinn's journey to school ended up being a lot smoother than the first one although she did forget that she had to pick up Santana and ended up driving the wrong way for about five minutes before anyone reminded her. After being sworn at by Santana for ever being able to forget someone as memorable as her and for making them a little late, she finally got to the school without any major incidents.

As soon as Quinn pulled the car into the lot, Santana and Brittany jumped out of the car so that they wouldn't be late for cheerleading practice and Quinn and Rachel started to walk into the school-the pink haired girl had wanted to spend her extra time with the little brunette-but they were intercepted by Coach Sylvester.

"Good morning Coach." Quinn said confidently, already slipping into the persona that she wanted to project to this overbearing woman. She wanted to show the taller woman that she was not afraid and the effort obviously worked as Sue got the same proud gleam in her eye as Quinn had seen the previous day.

With one look across to Rachel, Quinn could tell she was fairing a lot better in the Coach's presence than Sam had but there was still an undercurrent of fear running across her face that Quinn didn't like to see.

"Morning Fabray, you are late to practice." Sue stated, watching like a hawk to see how the pink haired girl would react.

"Funny Sylvester, I'm not on any teams, now what's the punchline?" Quinn didn't let the shock at what Sue had said show on her face although Rachel did, but whether her shock was based on Sue's words or Quinn standing up to her, Quinn couldn't be sure.

"The punchline is that I want your ass in the gym right now because you are joining my team." At those words, any other student from McKinley would have sprinted to the gym and not cared about any other detail then saving themselves from the wrath of Sue Sylvester. Quinn wasn't afraid of her however and so didn't agree straight away.

"And what team would that be?" Quinn said dubiously as she crossed her arms, adding to the attitude she was giving the Coach.

Sue looked like she had to refrain from smiling at the way Quinn was acting with her but had to maintain a front and so with a stormy expression she said, "Come to the gym and you will find out." Then she walked away in the aforementioned direction as if she was expecting Quinn to follow.

"Go Quinn, you don't want to anger her." Rachel spoke desperately as she tried to nudge Quinn the same way Sue had gone.

"But we were going to practice in the choir room together." Quinn said with no hope that practising was still an option as Rachel started shaking her head as soon as Quinn mentioned it.

"Just forget about that and follow Coach Sylvester, she is a scary woman and I don't want you getting on her bad side." Rachel's urgent voice drifted back to her as she pulled her along the hallway to the gym when it became obvious that Quinn was in no rush to get there.

Sue Sylvester was a crazy and dangerous woman in Rachel's eyes and she didn't want Quinn to be punished for not giving into the woman's whims.

"I'm not scared of her Rachel." Quinn declared as they came to a stop facing each other outside of the double doors that separated them from Sue's kingdom.

"Maybe you should be Quinn. Did you know that when she coached the cheerleaders for a week when Coach Ryerson was sick? She actually tried to shoot Brittany out of a cannon!" Rachel was practically shouting and hoped that Sue couldn't hear their discussion from the other side of the doors.

As for Quinn, she was angry that this woman had endangered her baby sister's life in such a way and was about to storm into the gym to give Sue a piece of her mind before Rachel pulled her back by her arm.

"No Quinn, I didn't tell you that to get you riled up, I told you so that you would be more cautious around her because she is CRAZY!" The last word was shouted and the squeal of shoes from the other room, stopped momentarily but carried back on at a shout from Sue. Rachel looked relieved that she hadn't been caught badmouthing the coach.

"OK Rach, I promise I will be careful." Quinn said as she pulled the smaller girl into her arms to soothe her and the attempts apparently worked as a few seconds later, Rachel was pushing her towards the gym again.

"OK, OK I'm going." Quinn chuckled lightly as Rachel shook her head fondly and with a, "Good luck!" called over her shoulder, the diva walked off and Quinn turned to face her fate.

* * *

When she opened the door she was met with the sight of multiple padded mats lining the floor and a number of people in skin tight outfits either on the mats or running suicides next to them. Sue Sylvester herself, in all her glory, stood proudly in front of a pair of girls fighting with a whistle waiting, ready to be blown, in her mouth.

Wrestling.

Sue wanted her to join the wrestling team. Not that she had anything against the sport, she just didn't know anything about it and she didn't think her family or Rachel would like her fighting every day.

The wrestling Coach called her over with a wave of a hand and Quinn did as directed but watched the two girls on the mat as she went.

There was one large brunette girl who was currently pinning a smaller red head to the floor and the larger girl was grunting her approval at the manoeuvre she had just carried out. Once an appropriate time had passed, she jumped to her feet and pumped her fist in the air at her victory, not bothering to help the other girl up.

"Good hustle Zizes, hit the showers." Sue called to the brunette who spat out her mouth guard on to the benches before doing as her coach instructed.

"So Fabray...impressed?" Sue spoke without looking at the pink haired girl but kept her attention on the mat as two new girls took up their starting positions.

"They are good but I don't see why you need me." Quinn stated, glancing up at Sue at the end.

"You have potential Fabray. You know how to fight and you aren't afraid to get a little busted up in the process. That is the kind of thing I need on this team to make sure we get our fifth consecutive Championship title." Sue finally looked at her as she spoke and Quinn could see the excitement of winning light up in her eyes.

"I know nothing about wrestling." Quinn warned. She had to admit the idea was intriguing to her. She knew the people she cared about may not approve but she hadn't been to fight club in over a month and she was missing an organised outlet for her aggression.

"We can teach you the rules, what we can't teach you is the determination, the passion. That you already have and everything else should be easy." It was as close to comforting as Sue had ever sounded though it was probably coming from her own assurance of her skills to train Quinn.

"When is practice?" Quinn asked and Sue turned to smile at her with an evil smirk that put Quinn on edge but she didn't let it show. She was pretty much agreeing to be a part of the club or at least to try it out.

"Every morning for an hour before school and after school until five on a Thursday for our own mini tournaments." Sue seemed to love the prospect of these mini tournaments but to Quinn it just sounded like there was a possibility of her having to fight Zizes in only two days time. It sounded unappealing but she decided that she wasn't going to let it stand in her way.

"Tell me what to do Coach."

* * *

Thankfully Sue had given Quinn her new McKinley High sportswear at the start of the session so that Quinn was able to practice in that rather than ruin her school clothes. At the start Sue had made her run suicides to check her fitness but she was in pretty good shape which pleased the Coach so Sue got the brunette girl, Zizes, to come back and start instructing Quinn on certain basic moves.

Quinn found that the girl was confrontational but generally, in the 10 minutes of practice they managed, she found that Lauren really loved her sport and took it seriously. It was an attribute she could respect and it allowed them to build a tentative alliance.

She smiled with pleasure at her progress when the Coach called for her to go to the showers however as she stepped out from under the spray at the end she found that she was five minutes late for her first lesson and quickly threw her clothes on and ran out of the now empty changing room.

Not thinking of any other way than just walking in with her head held high, Quinn decided to do just that to find that the class hadn't even started yet and the teacher was nowhere in sight. The class were uninterested and having loud conversations across the room and so her entrance bought nothing more than a few brief glances.

Quinn spotted Brittany and Santana sat at the back of the room at a double desk with an open seat in front of them that was currently occupied by an Asian boy that she had seen in glee club the previous day but she couldn't for the life of her remember his name.

Luckily her seat was directly in front of Brittany which was the one she really wanted to sit by and the tall blonde gave her a huge smile when she spotted her making her way over.

"Quinnie! This is so cool that we have Spanish together. Mr Schue is always late so we get to have loads of fun time in this class." Brittany spoke excitedly as Santana scowled at the new arrival.

"Mr Schue teaches this class? That explains so much." Quinn said, gesturing at the room around her as she came to a stop in front of their desk.

Santana seemed to realise that Quinn disliked the curly haired teacher as much as she did and her frown slipped off her face to be replaced with a smirk.

"So you have already discovered that Schue is a lazy, good for nothing." Santana expressed as she let her distaste for the man show on her face.

"You hate him too?" Quinn asked, already starting to feel a bond growing between them from their mutual feelings.

"Yeah because he has some weird ass crush on Hudson or something and I can just not stand that guy." Santana spoke and if it was possible her face got even darker. Brittany reached across and grabbed Santana's hand, rubbing her thumb along the back of it and it worked effectively enough to calm the Latina.

"Who is Hudson?" Quinn questioned.

"A man child who attacked Rachel a couple of days ago." Santana answered simply and was pleased when she got the desired reaction from Quinn. The pink haired girl clenched her fists and tried to glue herself to the spot so that she would not try to find this Hudson guy and beat the crap out of him.

"No need to worry, he isn't in school and he won't be for a while after the beat down that Sam gave him." Santana explained as if she could read Quinn's mind.

"And Rach is fine now, just ask her if you are still worried." Brittany said and she let her calming aura spread out so it encompassed her sister as well. Finally Quinn found herself calming at the same moment that Schue came bustling in to start the lesson.

Quinn shot a grateful nod to the two girls before moving to the empty seat next to the Asian boy.

"Is this seat taken?" Quinn asked politely before before sitting and the boy looked up in shock that she was talking to him, let alone asking to sit by him. He was a loser, being a member of the Brainiacs did that to you, even if you were in other clubs as well and he accepted it.

"Uh no, you can sit if you want." The boy answered slowly and seemed unsure of himself as Quinn took her seat and Schue started the lesson, fifteen minutes late.

After a few moments, Quinn found herself quite shocked at the quality of the lesson and couldn't help but think that she would have learned more about Spanish if Schue hadn't come to the lesson at all. She shot a glance back at Santana which said, 'what the hell is this?' She got a 'I know right!" from the dark brown eyes behind her before she faced the front again.

In her old school they had been far ahead of what the curly haired man was now teaching and she felt like she had regressed a few school years just listening to him.

When she felt like she was about to die of the boredom that this unchallenging class was posing, respite came in the form of a scrawled note from the mystery boy sitting next to her.

_My name is Mike and you're Quinn, Sam and Brittany's sister, I can tell that you are as bored as I am right now._

Now he had said his name was Mike the name did sound a bit familiar and she stared at the piece of paper for a few seconds before she took it from the neutral zone in the middle of the desk. It wasn't a very socially eloquent way of starting a conversation but he was trying and one glance at the nervous looking guy told her that he didn't put himself out their very often and so she should be nice.

_Nice to meet you Mike, you are obviously smarter than the average idiot Junior if you find this class boring._

She found it kind of sweet that he blushed when he read the written compliment and then a thought seemed to strike him as he started writing again with more gusto.

_Thanks, you must be smart too, do you want to join the Brainiacs? They are an academic team who go to competitions where we can be quizzed on all kinds of stuff._

His handwriting had gotten scruffier in his excitement as he wrote about the team he loved so much and it made Quinn smile a little but she didn't want to make him think she was going to join his club when she had no intention to.

_I think I have enough going on with the two clubs I am in now but if I ever get kicked out of one, I will totally consider your club. Sorry if you have failed in your recruitment attempts._

_I wasn't trying to recruit you, I was just hoping to make a friend who can properly debate with me whether the Justice League of America or the Avengers are the better superhero fighting team._

Mike's response left her puzzled as she looked up at him questioningly, wondering how he had known that she was a closet comic book fan. She kept that fact fairly quiet usually, she didn't hide it but didn't announce it either because it didn't really fit in with the punk image that she fought to maintain.

He realised the stare that was directed at him was fast becoming suspicious and so he leaned over and whispered, "You have a Green Lantern comic book, sticking out of your backpack."

He drew back with a smile in his face at the panicked look on Quinn's as she reached down for her bag as subtlety as possible and hid the comic between a couple of folders. She never bought comics to school because it would be too easy to uncover her geeky secret and she wondered why it was in there until she remembered that she had been reading it when she was suffering from slight insomnia, the only night that she had stayed at the Evans residence. It must have slipped into her open bag from the bedside table.

Before she could worry too much at her secret being discovered, the note was slipped back across to her with more writing on it.

_It's totally obvious that the Avengers are the better team because they have a God on their side._

Her worry automatically died with his one sentence and was replaced with a desperate need to show him how stupid his argument was.

_One word Mikey...Superman._

* * *

The two new friends surprised themselves with how long they were able to debate this topic and found themselves even carrying on as they made their way to the lunch room and sat down at the glee table, receiving a multitude of weird looks as they sat.

"OK, I will give you the fact that Wonder Woman would totally beat Black Widow but there is no way that the Green Lantern could take Thor." Mike stated around a pile of fries that he had already shovelled into his mouth. The glee club were looking on in wonder at the sight in front of them.

Some because they couldn't understand how Mike and Quinn had become friends so quickly and some because they had never heard Mike say such a long sentence.

"Oh come on, take away Thor's hammer and he would be pathetic." Quinn responded, so completely caught up in her conversation that she didn't see the worried glances she was getting from Rachel as the brunette was drawn out of her conversation with Kurt and their detailed analysis of his phone.

"Same for Green Lantern, take away the lantern and you take away his power source...Also what kind of superhero can be defeated by the colour yellow anyway?" Mike questioned as an afterthought.

Quinn opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by Santana who had chosen to not sit with the cheerleaders at Brittany's insistence.

"When in the hell did you two become besties?" She asked bluntly and as Mike realised all the attention that was on him he practically buried his face in his food.

"We found some common ground that has kept us entertained." Quinn responded vaguely with a wry grin at the Latina's frustration at her non answer.

"They are both geeks and they're talking about it." Brittany spoke wisely in an attempt to ease her girlfriend's annoyance and she succeeded.

"Oh my gosh you two were talking about comic books." Rachel said a little too loudly for Quinn's comfort and she reached across and covered the Diva's mouth with her hand, looking around to make sure nobody heard.

"Oh sweetie, its OK, its cute." Rachel comforted as she moved Quinn's hand from her face but kept them clenched between her two. Quinn turned the same colour as her hair due to the embarrassment and the compliment and felt like joining Mike in his food but a certain beautiful brunette had her fighting to regain her cool.

She gave her signature half grin which came out a bit awkward and which made Rachel chuckle at her. Quinn gave up her attempts to look cool and instead defended her cause.

"He is not defeated by the colour yellow he is defeated by the power of fear but only if he lets it overcome him." Quinn defended and her words brought Mike out of his tray.

"Ohhh...my tough punk with a sweet geeky centre." Rachel cooed and pecked Quinn's cheek, causing it to colour up again, before turning back to her conversation with Kurt with one last fond look in the punk's direction.

* * *

It had been a surprisingly easy day, especially when Quinn compared it to the day before but she was still glad to get home so that she could see how Sam was doing. She was responsible for them now and she took the responsibility very seriously, especially as she wasn't sure how long she would be able to hold on to them.

They found Sam sat in the kitchen, working on some homework he had been assigned the previous day and snacking on some cupcakes that Hiram had made.

When three of the residents of the Berry house came in after school, he looked relieved as the boredom of the quiet house was clearly driving him slowly insane.

"Hey Sammy, how are you?" Quinn asked with real concern in her voice as she dumped her bag on the counter and pulled out a chair opposite him.

"I'm good but very keen to go back to school tomorrow." Sam said with desperate eyes that were pointedly glancing at Hiram, who was just visible, sat in the living room and watching TV. Brittany and Rachel laughed at his implication but as Quinn didn't know Hiram very well yet she decided it would be best if she stayed silent so as not to offend anyone.

The noise drew the gay man's attention and he scurried out into the kitchen to catch up with his daughter and to check on Sam.

"So how was school today? Come on dish all of the good gossip." The small man demanded as he placed a freshly baked cupcake in front of each teenager and then sat down with his own treat.

"Oh well a number of very gossip worthy things happened today all of which, I believe will have you very excited and..."

Rachel was interrupted by Brittany who said simply, "Quinn joined the wrestling team."

The two males in the room looked at her in shock at the same time as Quinn was subtly trying to hide the piece of chewed cupcake she had bitten off in her napkin. The thing tasted awful and Sam looked at her understandingly and mouthed the word, 'vegan' at her and it all made sense.

Hiram didn't seem to care at all that she didn't like the cupcake as he pulled it out of reach and excitedly demanded, "Oh please explain!"

"Oh...well...Coach Sylvester she...kind of...convinced me." Quinn said stiltedly as she hadn't realised that her membership was apparently gossip worthy news. She hadn't even decided if she wanted to tell them about why she decided to join the club because the full story would involve a mention of fight club which was not something she wanted to explain.

"How did she convince you to join such a barbaric and brutal club Quinn?" Rachel asked with a little judgement and clearly showing that she didn't approve of wrestling. It was obvious that she had been dying to ask that question since she had found out about the development. Everyone else turned to look at her and she decided it was better to be honest. She really didn't feel like lying to the most important people in her life. Her siblings, the girl she liked and the man who took her and her family into his home.

"Well she said I had potential and to be honest, I really miss not having a physical and legal outlet for my aggression." She tried to maintain eye contact so as not to show her embarrassment and just about managed it.

"What used to be your outlet Quinn?" Brittany asked softly and with the unique look on her face that was completely Brittany that showed that she really cared about people.

"I can't talk about it." Quinn couldn't help but let out a little chuckle at her cliché response and everyone but a certain blonde boy looked at her with confusion.

"No way, you have to be kidding me. Although...it kind of makes sense, I mean nobody can fight like that unless they have had a hell of a lot of practice." Sam laughed as he automatically realised the line from the movie and drew the correct conclusion. He looked truly happy to have discovered something like that out about Quinn and so Quinn was glad she said it. She had a feeling that Sam and maybe Leroy would be the only ones in the house that would understand and appreciate her participation in fight club.

"What are you two talking about?" Hiram questioned and Rachel nodded along.

"Oh wait is this about that film you made me watch once Sam, with those guys without shirts?" Brittany asked, as realisation started to dawn on her face as well.

"Yeah that's the one Britt." Sam affirmed as he sat back in his chair with a teasing smile at Rachel, as he purposefully left her out of the loop.

As Brittany donned the same smile as her brother and Hiram looked as confused as she was, Rachel realised that her last option was a certain pink haired punk sat next to her. After only a couple of days she already knew what she had to do to get the information that she wanted.

She turned to look at Quinn with her large brown eyes wide and a heart breaking pout on her lips and before she could speak, Sam shouted out in warning, "Don't fall for it Quinn, she's just playing you!"

Quinn was about to heed his advice, she wanted to mess with Rachel a little as well, but then she got caught up in the look and found herself spilling her guts just to get a smile on that beautiful face again.

"I used to be in a fight club." Quinn stated but instead of getting the desired smile from the brunette, she got a slap on the shoulder and a frown.

"Quinn Fabray! How could you possibly participate in such a barbaric practice?" Rachel questioned with disgust of at the thought of Quinn participating in such violence for fun.

"Help" Quinn mouthed to her brother and sister but Sam just continued to laugh whilst Brittany looked thoughtful.

"Hey Quinn?" Brittany started with a mischievous smile spreading across her face and Quinn nodded to show she was listening, "Did you have to fight bare chested like the guys in the movie?" Brittany asked with fake innocence in her voice as the two guys in the room gagged at the thought and Rachel's eyes glazed over at the visual.

"You are a freaking genius Britt." Quinn complemented as she realised Brittany had successfully managed to distract Rachel from what would surely be a long winded rant. Rachel didn't even snap back to reality until Sam tossed his cupcake wrapper at her face.

"Sorry, what was that?" Rachel asked groggily as if she was just waking up from a pleasant dream.

"I was just wondering if you had any gossip for us darling?" Hiram spoke up with amusement clear in his voice at his daughter's reaction.

"Oh well I have found out that Kurt has recently acquired a boyfriend." Rachel spoke excitedly. The only gay guy in the school starting a relationship was big news even if it was someone considered a loser like Kurt was.

"Oh that is so cute, tell me everything." Hiram demanded. He had always seen some of himself in the stylish younger boy and so was keen on the details of this.

Rachel was just as caught up in his enthusiasm as she explained the situation.

"Well he was chatting to a boy in a gay chat room for a few weeks and the boy suggested that they get together for coffee, so they did and they hit it off. Now Kurt has starting texting him and he was showing me all the correspondence on his phone at lunch today. The messages are very flirty and Kurt seems very happy with the attention."

Hiram carried on with the questions and Rachel keenly responded but Quinn found herself zoning out as she wasn't really that interested in the love life of a guy she barely knew.

She looked over at Sam to see that he had the same bored expression and he mimed pretending to hang himself which garnered a wry chuckle.

The noise got Rachel's attention and she looked up to see what was going on and scowled at Quinn when she saw what she was laughing at.

Wanting to get out of the boring conversation, Quinn stood and pretended she didn't see Rachel's fake hurt face. "So yeah, I have to go and do...anything other than this, so see you later."

She made the fatal mistake of looking back just as she reached the door. That was when she fell into the trap that was Rachel Berry's pout but damn was it a great trap to fall into.

"Quinnie, please stay with me?" Rachel asked innocently and there was just no way that Quinn could have said no. Even if she hadn't been hopelessly attracted to Rachel it still would have been nearly impossible to deny her anything when doing that would be similar to kicking a puppy.

Not caring that she would lose a little of her bad ass image, she found herself walking back over, taking a seat next to Rachel and then smiling when the brunette girl threw her arms around her.

Hiram and Brittany smiled at the scene but Sam made a whipping motion at her and then laughed at his own joke.

"Yeah, yeah Sammy boy, laugh it up but I have seen you with Mercedes and I know you are just as whipped." Quinn retaliated and the smile slipped off his face at the knowledge that Quinn might use Mercedes against him.

"Low blow Fabray." Sam responded lowly but with a smile on his face showing he was just joking around.

As the conversation carried on around her, Quinn couldn't help but feel happier than she had in a while. She wasn't sure where things stood with her and Sam but she couldn't help but feel that after she had saved him the day before, that their entire relationship changed and he was starting to see her in a different light.

Quinn had already started to keep her promise that she would be there for them and protect them and she hoped she was doing a good job so far. She had found them a safe place to live and made sure that Sam's medical costs were taken care of. She hoped that Sam had had forgiven her and with their playfulness and general comfort with each other that afternoon Quinn found herself incredibly hopeful that things were finally starting to go right.

* * *

**A/N: So random guest you had it right when you guessed wrestling. I think it fits Sue to coach something more violent anyway.**

**The next chapter is going to be a complete flashback to 'The Incident' and why it resulted in Judy sending Quinn to Lima.**

**Hope you enjoyed the new chapter, please review...**


	9. The Incident

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Nine

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this update took so long. I have exams coming up and so updates may be less frequent but I will keep updating as long as you keep wanting updates. **

**This whole chapter is going to be a flashback covering 'The Incident' and some of the aftermath. Enjoy...**

* * *

FLASHBACK

It had been about 5 months since Quinn had first met Sebastian and in that time the brunette had done nothing to make Quinn start to trust him. Due to this fact, Quinn was incredibly anxious when Sebastian and Dave started dating.

Determined not to get in the way of her best friend's happiness she decided to take a step back and let their relationship progress but not without keeping a keen eye on Sebastian. Although no matter how much she wished the well styled boy would leave Dave alone she couldn't deny the fact that Dave was happier than she had ever seen him.

Quinn was content to allow the situation to carry on until she was forced to step in, though in reality she didn't see that happening.

The three band mates were sat in the Quinn's living room on a quiet Friday afternoon in the Summer with Dave draping his arm around the back of the sofa and Sebastian snuggled into the larger boy. They were fairly peaceful until Dave's phone buzzed with a message.

He took a few seconds where both boys read it before Sebastian got up and started pacing the room angrily, ranting mashed up sentences. "What is their problem?...don't know talent...pathetic dream destroyers..."

Although his sentences didn't really make sense, Quinn still understood. They had been waiting for the manager of a bar to call them back to tell them whether or not they could perform at his bar, twice a week. From Sebastian's ranting, Quinn immediately understood that they didn't get it and skimmed through the text message when Dave handed the phone over wordlessly. Her theory had been true.

She rested the phone down on the arm rest of her chair and rubbed her hand across her face. They had been trying for the last few months to get a job playing anywhere. They had even been as desperate to ask their Principal to allow them to play at any school events but they were turned down then as well.

They were all getting pretty fed up, especially Sebastian who finished his rant with a kick to the wall. Quinn had to hold back her laughter when he had apparently hit a support beam in the wall and started clutching his foot in pain. Dave went to him and helped him sit, running a soothing hand along his back whilst Quinn composed her face.

"We just have to keep trying...don't give up hope." Dave started giving a little pep talk to the group as was becoming a ritual as the band was turned down for more and more gigs.

"NO!" Sebastian shouted and threw Dave's hand off of his back. "This isn't good enough. We are a good band and that man is just trying to destroy our dreams but I won't let him." He looked agitated, as the whole band were really, but there was something else hidden deep within his eyes that Quinn didn't like the look of.

"There is nothing we can do but keep trying honey. We will get it, I promise you." Dave didn't attempt to touch him as he spoke but let his love shine through in his voice. He smiled when Sebastian's shoulders relaxed and he fell back into Dave's waiting arms.

"Yes, we will get it." Sebastian stated and Dave relaxed as well as he thought his boyfriend's anger had died.

But Dave couldn't see his face. Quinn could and she _knew_ he wasn't over it.

"Maybe we should go home now, I mean we are all a little disappointed and emotionally exhausted." Dave said slowly and carefully to Quinn as he gestured with his eyes to Sebastian showing that he wanted his boyfriend to have some time to calm down.

"Yeah of course, I'll see you guys tomorrow or something." Quinn showed them out and watched as Sebastian's car drove away carrying himself and her best friend.

It took only a few moments of watching the lingering exhaust fumes drifting along the street before Quinn made a decision.

She didn't trust Sebastian and the look in his eyes...it scared her. She needed to make sure that he wouldn't do anything crazy after the slightly devastating news. Quinn jumped in her car and made her way to Sebastian's house, parking around the corner from it but giving her the view of the road he would use to get home from hers or Dave's house.

Then she waited about five minutes longer than it would take Sebastian to get home before she sent a text to Dave.

_From Quinn: Is Seb with u? _

_From Dave: He left 10 mins ago. Why?_

It was all she needed to know as she started the car and drove off in the direction of her hunch. Sebastian had a temper, that much had become obvious after just a few days of knowing him and if he was truly angry at the new developments as Quinn expected he was then he would go straight to the source.

She pulled up outside the bar where they had applied for a gig and haphazardly parked in the nearest space. In the back of her mind, Quinn did worry that she had come to the bar for no reason but when she turned a corner and saw Sebastian's car parked under a shady recess, she knew that she had made the right call.

The bar was closed because it was only late afternoon and there was about an hour before it was due to open. Only a few bar staff were present and they were preoccupied in the basement doing stock checks and so they were easy to slip past.

Quinn quietly made her way to the manager's office and pressed her ear against the door, straining to hear any sounds from inside for a few seconds. When no noises were apparent, she slowly slid the door open and was met with an empty office.

_The manager must not be here yet. Sebastian probably realised that and is gone by now._

She realised that it was a very hopeful thought and she dismissed the notion that Sebastian was a persistent person and may have tried to track the man down at his home.

On her way out she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realise that she was walking into an occupied corridor until she stepped into it but luckily the occupants were too distracted to see her as she took a quick step back. Or so she thought.

Quinn peered back around the corner and saw Sebastian with a growl ready on his lips, holding a smaller, greying man against the wall by an arm across the neck. The man was sweating and looked terrified as he squirmed to get out of the grip but his actions only resulted in Sebastian pressing more firmly into the tender flesh of his neck.

"P-p-please...I don't know who you are or anything about a band...please just let me go?" The man begged and tears started to form in his eyes. Quinn really wanted to step in and defend the scared man but something about the way that Sebastian smirked at the pain he was causing told Quinn that it would be a fight she wouldn't win and maybe wouldn't even walk away from.

"Tell your manager to reconsider us and if we don't get the job this time around, I will hold you personally responsible." The threat was all too clear in his tone and the man's eyes widened and he hurried to nod his head in agreement.

"Good, I will see you soon." It sounded like another threat as Sebastian let the man go and he slumped down, letting out a sigh of relief. Quinn mirrored the man's relief when suddenly Sebastian span back around and threw a hard punch into the older man's stomach. He fell to the floor and the tears he had been fighting for the whole ordeal finally came out as Sebastian spat on the floor next to him then walked away.

Quinn was frozen momentarily as what she saw flashed in her mind over and over. When Sebastian had spun around, his jacket had risen up and what he had stuck in his waistband was clear to see.

He had been carrying a gun.

As soon as Quinn unfroze, she hurried to the man on the floor and tried to help him up.

"Stay away from me!" The man screamed as he moved away from her, faster than she thought he would be able to and struggled his way down the hall. She thought about going after him but realised that she had more important things to deal with than a man who didn't want help.

She raced back to her car, noticing that Sebastian's was now gone and started driving to Dave's house. She needed to warn him that his boyfriend was dangerous and crazy and she just needed to keep her best friend safe.

_If he had found the manager would he have used the gun on him?_

Quinn started questioning herself and found herself not liking the obvious answer which was, why else would he bring it if he wasn't planning on using it. Sebastian obviously didn't bring it to wave it around to scare people because he didn't bring it out for the man he punched.

She attempted to block out those thoughts as she pulled up outside the Karofsky residence and took a calming breathe before making her way to the door. Dave wouldn't like what she was about to say but she needed to make him understand, she needed to protect him.

He opened the door with light surprise to see Quinn but with the warm smile that he usually reserved for her and his mother and now Sebastian.

"Dave, I need you to listen to me and I really need you to believe me." She found that she was already breathing hard and Dave rested a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her.

"Of course Quinn, you're my best friend, I will always believe you." Dave said with such genuineness that it almost hurt to look at because she knew that she was about to tear away his boyfriend.

"Its Sebastian...Dave he went to the bar when you left and...Dave he is dangerous...he had a..." She stopped dead in her tracks when the front door opened a little wider and Sebastian came into view with a faked innocence on his face.

"Hey Quinn what's up?" He asked conversationally but with a gleam in his eye that showed that he knew exactly what was going on.

She stood there in shocked silence for a few moments and didn't know what to say. If she was honest...she was a little bit scared of Sebastian in that moment and like a coward she avoided the confrontation. She figured that she could talk to Dave later and he would be safe until then because Sebastian would never hurt him.

"Nothing...its...its just not important...I'll see you guys." She murmured out as she started to walk away from the house.

"Quinn!" Dave called and ran after her quick walking form for a few steps until she stopped.

"What's wrong? You looked and you said...about Sebastian." He was struggling with his words and Quinn took a few steps back to him and kissed his cheek softly.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow and tell you all about it but Dave...promise me you will be careful until then?" Quinn pleaded and shot a glance towards the brunette smirking at her from the doorway.

Dave was confused but realised that she was talking about his boyfriend and replied, "Of course." She reached up and ruffled his hair affectionately before turning to leave again and it felt so wrong to leave Dave with a boy she was sure was a monster.

But she got in the car and drove away anyway.

* * *

The next afternoon was one of their scheduled band practices and Quinn had yet to find the time to talk to Dave and she felt herself getting more and more desperate for the opportunity. They had started using the North Hill facilities as they were students and Sebastian was apparently friends with the janitor who opened it up for them every Saturday.

She figured that if they got there early then they might have time to talk before Sebastian got there and then they could face him together. Dave always was Quinn's strength.

She sent Dave a text asking him to meet her at the school a half an hour before the scheduled practice time and he agreed without asking any questions which Quinn found very unusual but reasoned that they were in an unusual situation and so she should cut him some slack.

The North Hill car park was completely empty when Quinn got there which wasn't that unusual as some times the janitor would leave the keys for Sebastian to lock up if he finished early.

Quinn was about to walk into the building but she figured that as she was the first one there, she had time for a cigarette to calm her nerves before she told Dave the truth about Sebastian.

It was quite warm and although it was getting later in the afternoon, the sun was still bearing down and so she found herself walking over to the bleachers to smoke in the shade. The car park was still in her view so she saw nothing wrong with waiting there.

She had taken only a few puffs when Sebastian's car drove smoothly in and the boy himself sauntered into the building looking rather pleased with himself.

Her blood ran cold when she didn't see her best friend anywhere in the proximity. Her mind started going into overdrive thinking that something had happened to him however she then had a moment of clarity.

The only reason that Dave wouldn't come when Quinn asked was because he didn't know he was needed. She would bet every single item that she owned that Sebastian had been pretending to be Dave and her best friend wouldn't be showing up for another 25 minutes.

Finally finding some of the courage she had abruptly lost the previous day she decided to confront the boy and see if she could get him to leave easily without excess pain on Dave's part.

She wasn't stupid though and she knew that he was dangerous but she honestly didn't think he would do anything other than punch her like he had done with the man at the bar. She would have to be careful but she honestly didn't think that Sebastian was capable of anything more than that.

Her footsteps echoed along the empty hallways of North Hill high school, acting as a warning to anyone ahead that she was walking in their direction. In the shade of the cool hallways, the outside heat had little affect but the sweat was still dripping down her back. She attributed it to the nerves at what she was about to do.

They usually practised in the choir room of the school as they kept their drum kit set up constantly and Quinn slowly made her way in that direction, desperately listening for any out of place sounds and searching for suspicious shadows. She didn't want to be caught unawares.

Taking a calming breath as she reached the choir room she peeped through the window in the door to see an expanse of empty seats and not much of anything else. Hoping that the room really was unoccupied, as it appeared to be, she pushed opening the door gently and the creaking from the hinges squeaked loudly through the air.

Quinn made her way over to the drum kit sat still in the corner of the room and ran a finger over the symbol, allowing a light vibration to fill the room. The edge of a white drum stick peeked out from under the stool and Quinn swooped to pick it up.

Milliseconds after she had moved her body something fell with great force into the symbol that was now positioned just above her head causing a resounding crash to tear the silence of the quiet school.

She ducked to the floor with speed and span around to see Sebastian stood over her with a look on his face that caused a shiver of fear to descend down Quinn's spine. A quick glance behind her showed a brick on the floor and Quinn barely had time to think about what Sebastian had clearly tried to do before she threw herself at his legs.

The boy hit the floor hard and the wind was knocked out of him as Quinn quickly found her feet and ran from the room with a stealth that she didn't know she had.

As the lockers flew past in a blur Quinn came to the sure knowledge that Sebastian was going to kill her. What had happened in the choir room had been an attempt and it was only by the grace of a few inches that she was not led bleeding on the drum kit.

The main doors loomed in front of her and she pulled on them with the entirety of her strength only to realise, to her terror, a few moments later that the doors were locked.

Panic streamed through her as she ran into the first available classroom and tried to pry open a window only to have that attempt fail as well. She struggled for a few moments to even catch her breath as the very real possibility that she was about to die faced her.

That was when she heard footsteps echoing down the hallway. Slow and steady. The steps of a hunter who is confident that he has his prey completely trapped and is now just toying with it.

She ran to the teacher's desk at the front of the classroom and hid underneath at she frantically racked her brain for any means of escape whilst the footsteps got increasingly louder.

Then suddenly there was a crash sounding faintly in the distance and the footsteps came to a halt just outside of the room Quinn was taking refuge in. She held her breath for the few seconds that Sebastian remained stationary before he slowly started to walk off in the direction of the noise.

Quinn counted to a hundred before she got up and then waited at the door an extra thirty before she ventured out into the halls again with light footsteps. She strained her ears for any sign of where Sebastian was but heard nothing.

She considered finding another place to hide when a thought struck her.

The auditorium!

It had an emergency exit at the back of the stage and it was possible that Sebastian could have forgotten about it when sealing off the school as he might not even know that it was there as it was barely ever used. Plus it is kind of impossible to lock an emergency exit.

Trying not to let her excitement overpower her and cause her to draw attention to herself she slowly made her way to the auditorium and slipped in through one of the back entrances.

Her heart froze at what she saw on stage.

Sebastian was stood with his back partially to her, facing the bulking form of David Karofsky in all his glory.

"You are so smart Dave, its such an attractive quality and its one of the things that really drew me to you." Sebastian flirted heavily with Dave but for the first time she could see that her best friend could see through the boy.

Everything became strikingly clear in those first few moments after Quinn spotted Dave in the school.

First was that enough time must have passed that Dave had turned up for the band practice and had found the doors closed.

Second was that Dave had obviously panicked and remembered the fire exit in the auditorium, used it and subsequently caused the crash.

Thirdly and most importantly, they were both now aware of exactly how dangerous Sebastian Smythe was. Quinn knew because he had tried to kill her and Dave knew because he had always been able to read people exceptionally well and with the added evidence of the locked doors and missing best friend, it was all too clear to him now.

"What are you doing Seb?" Dave asked with such heartbreaking concern in his voice that even Sebastian paused for a moment.

"Nothing." He said simply but Dave could see right through the poor lie.

"Then where is Quinn?" He asked accusingly and Sebastian's body posture stiffened in his well known posture of rage.

"Don't stand in my way Dave, I don't want to hurt you." Sebastian didn't even attempt to make up a lie but despite his anger his words came out more pleading than aggressive and Dave visibly softened a little.

"I won't let you do this." Dave stated and drew himself to his full height to show his determination.

"Then I am truly sorry." Sebastian spoke slowly as he reached into his waistband and Quinn surged forward from her darkened hiding place at the back of the room and raced down the isle.

"Don't hurt him!" She screamed at the tall figure who had now pulled out a gleaming silver gun and both boys whipped around in surprise.

A couple of things happened at once then. Sebastian looked happy in a demented sort of way as he aimed the gun at the girl who had stopped at the front row of chairs. Dave realised what was going to happen and he started to scream out, "No!" with panicked eyes.

He threw himself at Sebastian with the speed of a football player and reached him in the time that it took the crazy boy to aim and pull the trigger.

Quinn closed her eyes at the sound of the gunshot ringing through the air and then opened them when the distinguishable sound of a body thudding to the ground could be heard.

Dave's body laid still on the cold wood of the stage floor.

For the next few moments, Quinn gave into a primal part of herself that screamed and demanded Sebastian be ripped apart, piece by piece as she flung herself onto the stage and onto a shocked and frozen brunette boy.

They both hit the floor hard, the gun flying from the boy's hand and off the stage into the darkness. The hit seemed to jolt Sebastian back into life as he realised what he had done and he scrambled to his feet, avoided Quinn's reaching hand and ran away from the school.

"Lucy?" The weak, gravelly voice from behind her stopped the pink haired girl from further pursuit and made Quinn slide across the hardwood to her best friend's barely moving body.

His blood was spilling from a gunshot wound in his upper stomach and the pool of blood now soaking into Quinn's jeans was becoming far too big for comfort. Quinn tried to control her tears as the light brown eyes below her struggled to stay open.

"One second Dave, I'll call an ambulance and you will be OK, just hold on for me...please." Quinn finished brokenly and then panicked when she realised that she had left her phone in her car.

"I need to find a phone, give me a sec..." A shaking hand on her arm stopped her from getting up in her search of a phone.

"No...Quinn, I...I'm not going to last much longer and...I need you to hear this." It sounded like it was causing him great pain to talk as his face became paler and his eyes started to dim. Quinn pushed her hands onto his wound to try to stem the blood flow but the pool had already reached the edge of the stage and was slowly dripping off onto the carpeted floor below.

"I'm listening." She whispered and leaned closer to his mouth so he didn't have to strain so much to speak.

"This isn't your fault Quinn." He struggled to keep his voice steady and his eyes fully open as he spoke and Quinn let a few tears fall at the knowledge that even so weak, her best friend knew exactly how to ease her troubled mind and cared enough to do it.

"I would...step in front...of a bullet...for you every...time." His breathing became laboured and gurgled and Quinn was fairly sure that the bullet had grazed a lung and he was slowly drowning in his own blood. What little was left in his body anyway.

Her theory was confirmed when he coughed up some blood then rasped out, "You are my...sister and I will...always love you. Don't blame...yourself Luce..."

A peace fell over his face as he finished what he had to say and the tears started pouring out of Quinn and she whimpered out, "I love you too Dave...always." She knew it was too late, his chest had stopped moving and his body had gone completely still.

She threw herself over the body of her best friend and brother and sobbed her heart out as she clung on for dear life and let the blood soak through more of her clothes.

Time passed.

She wasn't sure how long but Dave was cold when she let go and her tears dried up. She closed his still open eyes gently and folded his arms across his body to hide the hole made in his stomach.

At least he could now pass for sleeping if she could convince herself that the red pool surrounding him was some sort of cherry flavoured drink and not his life's essence. In the movies that always tended to comfort people but it didn't nothing to tame the wild beast of grief roaring inside her.

The sound of his blood slowly dripping into the carpet with a quiet dull thud was a noise engrained into her mind as she walked towards the Principal's office and picked up his phone, uncaring of how much blood she was spreading across the room and throughout the school.

Three numbers and then the monotone words, "There was a gunman at North Hill high school and my best friend got shot. He is already dead. Come as soon as you can." She hung up the phone and busied herself searching for the spare key in the Principal's desk to open the door for the paramedics.

She couldn't remember much of the next few weeks and if asked she would say that she wouldn't have wanted to.

The Police came and questioned her and she responded with a neutral detachment that she found herself clinging to in an attempt to get through the trauma. One thing she did ensure was that she told them all of what Sebastian had done. As she spoke the memories of all of their encounters came to her mind and she found herself stating many different crimes the boy could be responsible for, all of which the Police took note of.

When they let her go, she didn't go home. She resorted to the weakness implanted in her genes and went to a bar where she promptly and effectively used her fake ID to its fullest.

She woke up naked in a stranger's bed, two days later, reeking of alcohol, weed and sex with a killer hangover and her bloodied clothes tossed into a corner.

As far as she cared it was the way she planned on spending the rest of her life because it was the only way she could think of to deal with the pain.

* * *

For approximately nine days she bar hopped and bed hopped to keep herself feeling anything but the pain of losing Dave.

One thing that had certainly never occurred to her was that there would be a funeral otherwise it might have encouraged her to least go home to find out the details. As it was she got lucky and bumped into the heavily tattooed form of the fight club manager Tony as she was sat in a bar one night.

He sat down without saying a word, ordered a drink, swallowed it in one, ordered another then raised it in the air.

"In memory of." He said simply and downed the glass. Quinn hated that he was there, especially as he brought up so many memories of Dave with his mere presence but he was offering the tribute to a boy they both loved and she would be damned if she didn't give the brunette boy every little thing she had left in her to give. Even if it was just raising a glass.

"His funeral is tomorrow." Tony cut right to the chase in an attempt to ease the blow but the sudden shot of pain in her heart still caught her off guard. She made sure to take a deep long drink before she replied, "What time?"

To accept that he was gone and to start to move on she knew that she had to go to the funeral, hell she would hate herself if she didn't but it was still a hard step to take. She was grateful that Tony seemed to realise this as he was gentle and was letting her recent lifestyle slide. If Russell had found her she knew that he would have done the exact opposite.

"11am. You can stay at my place tonight because we need you sober and in one piece for tomorrow." If one thing could be said about Quinn Fabray was that she was a fighter, unlike her parents who had long since stopped trying to find a way out of the peaceful oblivion they found with alcohol. It meant that although she did just want to drink away the pain in the same way she had for the past nine days, she knew that she needed to be stronger than that, she needed to be there for Dave this one last time.

She downed what was left in her glass then pushed it away from her, "To being sober." She said seriously and trying not to wince at the prospect of the pain she was going to have to deal with the next day.

Tony rested a comforting hand on her shoulder and took her out to his pick up and they drove in silence. Quinn was still on a buzz from the alcohol she had already consumed before Tony came in and so she didn't notice when he took a wrong turn for going to his place.

When they pulled up outside of Russell Fabray's modest two story house, the man in question was stood on his lit up porch and Quinn found herself running into his arms despite her initial anger at Tony for bringing her there. She hadn't wanted anyone she cared about to see her so messed up but when she saw the strong figure of her father she felt her emotions bubble to the surface and felt the need to be comforted.

"Thank you for bringing her to me." Russell said quietly to the bald man stood a little way down on the path. He took one hand from around Quinn to shake Tony's hand and the man just seemed happy that Quinn wasn't taking comfort from anything in a bottle or a bong.

"I'll always be here for her."

* * *

Despite being a man of intimidating appearance, Tony was good to his word and despite his own comfort, donned a black suit and made his way to the graveside to support Quinn and to pay his respects to a close friend.

Though Russell had wanted to drive Quinn, the pink haired girl said she wanted to walk and her father eventually conceded and found himself stood next to Tony waiting for his daughter to show up as masses of people gathered in the cemetery.

Quinn for her part was struggling less and less with being sober for the first time since Dave's death and more and more with the knowledge that today she would have to say goodbye.

The streets were fairly quiet for an early morning and the summer sun started to cause a sticky heat to descend on the city. Quinn found herself walking slowly in the direction of the graveyard, ensuring that she had enough time to get there, and lost herself in her memories of the boy she called her best friend and who was like a brother to her.

Ten years of knowing somebody is a long time for a teenager and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to live without him. When she finally made it through the huge, black metal gates, a quick glance at her watch told her that it was five minutes before the service started.

Three minutes for a cigarette and two minutes to walk over there. She could totally get away with that and it was the only way she could get through the service.

She leant against a large oak tree and watched the mourners from a distance as she let the smoke relax her. When the Minister started to get into position she stubbed the stick out on the ground before joining the back of the group as the woman in a black robe started talking.

A woman who had never met Dave before in her life started telling a group of people that had known the boy best that he was a great guy, that only the good die young etc. etc.

Except she didn't know if any of that was true. She probably said that about every person she oversaw the funeral of and Quinn hated the hypocrisy of it.

When the final words came out of her mouth, it was so cliché, just like in the movies. Her words were overly loud in the quiet graveyard, people burst into tears and her best friend's body was lowered into its finally resting place.

And Quinn finally let herself grieve truly for the loss of someone so integral in her life.

As one the mourners seemed to break off in different directions and Quinn knew that they were going to the wake but felt no inclination to follow. She wasn't done mourning yet.

Russell and Tony spotted her then stood with her a while until it became painfully obvious that she wanted to be alone so they left with a kiss on the forehead and a shoulder squeeze respectfully.

The grave diggers came once everyone but her had left and started to fill in the hole. The sense of finality that it gave Quinn was exquisitely painful but slightly freeing at the same time. To know there is nothing left you can do means you give up and when you give up you can let it all go.

When the diggers left she went and sat at the edge of the freshly dug earth, looking at his name etched into the marble with wet eyes.

"I'm sorry." She spluttered out through her tears and she spoke to the cloudless sky rather than the headstone as most would. She hoped that up was where he was as she spoke.

She closed her eyes and let the sun soak into her face, drying the tear tracks on her cheeks when she heard Dave's final words as clear as if he was stood right next to her.

"_You are my sister and I will always love you. Don't blame yourself Luce." _

In her mind he didn't stutter or rasp the way he had when he actually said those words. His voice was strong and comforting and Quinn started to obey his final demand.

She stopped blaming herself and started blaming Sebastian.

* * *

Judy was starting to panic when Quinn didn't come home. Russell phoned and said that he knew where she was and that he knew people were looking after her but she could tell it was a lie. It was stressing her out and causing her to drink unprecedented amounts but Quinn was an emancipated minor so there was nothing she could do.

She hated Russell for helping to take her baby girl away from her.

When she saw Quinn at the funeral, looking worse for wear but generally in one piece, Judy had been relieved but when she didn't see Quinn for the next few weeks she began to worry again.

It got to a point where Judy just decided that she didn't need the stress any more.

She knew her daughter was getting drunk, high and that she smoked because an obnoxious looking bald man covered in tattoo's had told her so. He also mentioned that Quinn was staying with Russell and it gave her an idea.

Judith Jenkins was not a strong woman and so she got the idea to send the last family member that she had to Lima Ohio because it was the only option left to her. She couldn't give her daughter the care she needed and if she was honest, she had very little inclination to try. So she sent her to Dwight to see if he could do any better.

She really did think it was for the best. That's what made it so tragic.

* * *

It was only two days after the funeral and unknowingly three weeks before Quinn was sent to Lima when she found herself sitting in Benny's tattoo parlour, flicking through books until she found the exact thing that she wanted.

She pointed to the picture and sat in the chair as Benny did his work and Quinn tried to picture the last time she had been in this situation, with Dave sat next to her, comforting her.

Quinn couldn't be sad now because she was doing this for him. She was doing this so that she would always remember him and in a strange way she was showing how she hoped that Dave was in a better place.

When the work was done, Quinn was relieved, not because it was a particularly painful area, the small of the back is less painful than the wrists, but because she hadn't liked being exposed by lying face down.

Benny rang the payment up in silence, the same way as he had spent most of the session as he hadn't known what to say to the hurting girl. When she turned to go he finally decided to speak up.

"That was for him wasn't it." It was quiet and the tone was the softest that Quinn had ever heard Benny speak.

"Yeah, its stupid but the meaning of it...I just hope someone up there notices and it helps Dave in some way...maybe it will even help me find my way back to him one day." Quinn ran her finger over her bandaged back with a light smile on her face, "Am I right about the meaning?" Quinn questioned though she knew she was right.

Benny still felt the need to reassure the pink haired girl, "Yeah...the Chinese dragon can mean strength or power which is what he gave you in life but I don't think that was the only thing you were going for?" Quinn shook her head in the negative and he continued, "The Chinese believe that the dragon had one crucial job...to transport humans to the Celestial realms after death." He smiled at the girl when a small smile spread across the pain etched features at the correct meaning.

He could understand, she wanted it to be a way to remember Dave and to show her desire for him to get to Heaven. She also kind of hoped it would take her to be with him up there one day.

"I hope he got there." Quinn admitted quietly.

"I'm sure he did."

* * *

**A/N: I got the meaning of the dragon from a Chinese culture website so I am fairly confident that the information if accurate. If not...well sue me. **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter and that it gave you some more insight into the way Quinn is. She is rebel on the surface but not on the inside any more. She no longer feels the need to rebel and just wants to stay the way that Dave would remember her. That is the Quinn Fabray that came to Lima.**

**Please review...**


	10. Drink It All Away

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Ten

* * *

**A/N: I'm back! I don't know how long I made you guys wait for an update but it felt like ages and I am therefore sorry. I had exams and stuff but they are now over and I am like a writing machine. **

**Hope you enjoy the new chapter..**.

* * *

Quinn was awoken that night by the sound of soft footsteps creaking down the stairs. She wasn't too proud to admit that the first thought her sleep addled brain had produced had been, _Zombies!_

That was until she shook a little of the sleep off and realised that it was probably just one of the occupants of the house. One look at the time however told her that something was probably wrong if someone was awake at this time and she decided to go and check it out.

The house was a little chilly which was understandable as it wasn't summer any more but it did mean that she had to slip on some shoes before following the mystery person out through the slightly open back door.

It was a still night and the crickets were being particularly quiet and Quinn thought it was probably because not even they liked being up at three in the morning.

When she spotted the shaggy blonde head of her brother as he leaned against the patio railing and stared aimlessly into the darkness she felt a little relief at the idea that she could talk to him. He was acting OK with her but she wanted to know how genuine that was.

"Hey." She greeted in a whisper as she leaned against the wooden post next to him.

He didn't need to look at her to recognise her voice and he continued staring at nothing as he said, "Hi Quinn."

"What gave me away? My awesome, husky voice?" Quinn joked.

"Nah, it was the sound of your clomping feet as you came out of the living room." Sam's smile was obvious even in the faint light given off from the moon.

"I'll work on it." They fell into silence for a long while before Sam spoke up again.

"I know why you followed me out here. You want to know if I have really forgiven you?" He asked but he sounded very sure that he was right.

"It just seems sudden, one minute you can barely talk to me and now..." She let her sentence trail off as they both knew just how different their relationship had become over the past day or so.

"I don't know if I forgive you Quinn." Sam started and he turned to face her. Quinn opened her mouth to respond although she honestly didn't know what to say when Sam carried on, "What I do know though is that...you saved me. I don't know what...what Dad...what Dwight would have done but...you saved me." The last part was whispered and Quinn put her hand over his on the railing and waited for him to continue as she knew he still wasn't done.

"I feel so hurt that you left me...but I believe you when you say that you are here for us now. You literally dragged me away from danger, you have found a place for us to live, you covered my hospital bills...I guess what I'm saying is that I always wanted my big sister back and now I think I have her back so that's why I am treating you differently." He looked tired once he had finished. She knew he was like her in that she wasn't great with words or talking about feelings but he said everything now and she was so grateful to understand him more.

She took a step closer and lifted his head so that he was looking at her as she said, "I will _always_ protect you and Brittany and I am not going any where any more. I'm am a different person than the one who left you and you two are too important to me. I am here to stay."

She wasn't sure how she expected him to react to her words, maybe a big smile or a head nod but not full on tackle into a bear hug. Quinn found herself chuckling slightly as she wrapped her arms around her little brother and buried her head into his neck. The smell was so familiar, a scent so uniquely Sam that she was sent back to her childhood with a smile on her lips.

"Thank you." He mumbled into the top of her head and suddenly she saw Sam Evans as he really was. A boy who had had the pressure of raising his little sister as his Dad drunk his life away and who had never really learned to let people in as he dealt with the abandonment issues his mother and older sister left him with.

A boy she had helped to break and was now helping to fix again.

As the two broke apart, Quinn scuffed up Sam's hair and said, "Now lets get our asses inside before I freeze mine off."

Sam agreed and as they both went to part ways, Quinn watched Sam walk half way up the stairs before she quietly called out to stop him. When he turned around she couldn't quite make eye contact as she spoke but she managed to say clearly, "I would stand between you and harm every time Sammy."

She walked back to the sofa and out of his sight before he could say anything but after a few moments she heard light footsteps heading towards his bedroom and she led back and let a tear run down her face.

Quinn wasn't entirely sure why she had said it but as she was getting closer to Sam she couldn't help but remember the other boy she considered to be her brother and how she couldn't stand between him and harm that one time no matter that she had tried to.

It was something that would always haunt her, she knew that and she just needed Sam to know that she would protect him and needed the assurance for herself that she could.

Quinn would do the same for both Sam and Brittany in a heartbeat because there was no way that she could watch another sibling die in her arms.

* * *

There wasn't many things that could make Quinn feel nervous. Meeting her brother and sister for the first time in ten years was one thing that put her on edge and as she was discovering, the prospect of the after school mini wrestling tournament really made her tense.

The people that sat at the lunch table with her on that Thursday could tell that there was something wrong but only Rachel decided to question Quinn on it. When the others were wrapped up in their conversations, Rachel leaned back in her chair and said quietly in Quinn's ear, "What's wrong Quinn?"

"Nothing is wrong Rach." Quinn responded with the same volume but Rachel had pulled back and could see the dishonesty in her hazel eyes.

"Please don't lie to me." Rachel asked, taking one of Quinn's hands in both of hers and tugging at them to emphasize her point.

"Its just wrestling practice tonight has got me a little worried." Quinn stated honestly and focused on her tray of food as she spoke rather than the small girl sitting next to her.

Before Rachel could think of anything to say, Mike, who was sat on Quinn's other side, spoke up, "Hey, I wouldn't worry about the mini tournament Quinn, they are more like a reward from Coach S and Coach T than something to freak out about."

Looking around at the rest of the table, Quinn could tell that she wasn't the only one shocked by what Mike had just said as all eyes turned to the shy boy. Quinn felt the need for clarification with a bead of hope already growing in her.

"Mike...Are you on the boys wrestling team?" Quinn asked cautiously although it was fairly obvious what the answer was.

"Yeah, I don't usually broadcast it because the boys team suck whereas the girl's team is award winning. But you really don't need to worry cause I will be there and Lauren is having a 'grudge match' against some unwilling opponent so you have no worries there. It'll be fun." The majority of the group were still trying to get used to hearing him say so much but Quinn just felt relieved at his words. Lauren Zizes was the wrestling captain and to put it succinctly, she was terrifying so it was a relief to know that Quinn wasn't going to have to fight her after school.

As soon as it was obvious that Quinn had calmed down Rachel went back to discussing Kurt's latest texts to his new boyfriend and everyone else went back to their own conversations. Quinn may have been calmer but she was still sure that tonight would be interesting.

* * *

Wrestling practice that evening did turn out to be eventful but not in the 'Quinn got her face smashed in' kind of way. The first thing she noticed when she walked out of the changing rooms was that Rachel and Sam were sat on the small set of bleachers at the side of the gym. Rachel was visibly bouncing in her seat with excitement and Sam was looking around at the people warming up with mild interest.

Quinn realised she had stopped just short of the mats when Mike came jogging over to her with concern on his face. "Are you OK?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, just didn't want my first mini tournament being watched by my brother and my...Rachel." Quinn said as she waved at the two seated figures when they noticed she had come out.

"It won't be that bad." Mike promised and for some reason she believed him as they walked over to the bleachers.

"Quinn! Are you so glad we're here? We came to support you because I knew you were nervous and I thought the sight of some friendly faces would make everything better. I am actually quite excited to see you fight although I do not condone violence I still think it will be fun to see you do something you enjoy or at least will soon learn to enjoy!" It was with immense skill that Quinn processed everything she had said especially at the speed it had been said and it was clearly a skill that was not possessed by either Sam or Mike.

"I am really glad you are here Rach, it makes everything better." Quinn smoothly lied and Rachel beamed at the fact that Quinn had been listening.

"I'm only here because I am kinda hoping to see you get your ass kicked!" Sam joked and Rachel slapped him on the arm to scold him though it didn't phase the blonde.

"Well you are in for a shock Sammy boy because I am the only one that will kicking ass today." She stated confidently although she had really only learned a few basic moves and knew she would be screwed in a real match.

"This I must see." Sam declared as he kicked his feet up onto the bleacher in front of him and got comfortable.

"Well then come on Fabray, lets put on a show." Mike suggested as he wrapped an arm around Quinn's shoulder and led her over to the mats. Once they found an empty mat they took the neutral position and slipped their headgear on. Even in an informal fight they would get killed for not wearing the right equipment.

Before they started they looked around to see if their respective coaches would protest at a girl and boy fighting even if it wasn't serious. When it was obvious that Coach Tanaka and Coach Sylvester weren't interested in anything other than Lauren Zizes creaming yet another victim, Mike started to teach Quinn some additional moves.

It was when Quinn had Mike on his back for the third time that Quinn realised just how awful the boys team were. She was under no pretence of believing she was skilled enough to take down a guy who had been wrestling for two years but she did notice that Lauren had taught her a lot more in three sessions than Mike seemed to know. Maybe Lauren was that good or Mike was that bad but Quinn was inclined to believe in favour of her new friend.

Rachel had been getting louder in her cheering and Sam was looking fairly impressed by the time Sue called out to the teams to finish the session.

"OK you all need to get out of here so I can start airing out the gym as the stench of male failure is making me gag." Tanaka didn't even look insulted and a few girls snickered at their less talented counterparts as the teams went to their respective locker rooms.

Quinn and Mike were the last ones to get off the mats as Quinn had initiated a double leg take-down just as Sue started talking and they both ended up laughing on the mat as Quinn face planted afterwards rather then pinning Mike.

"Don't worry, you will learn to perfect your craft grasshopper." Mike joked as they finally got up.

"What you think I didn't mean to eat mat at the end of that move, how little you know me Mike." Quinn joked straight back.

"Fabray, Chang, if I see a boy girl match going on again I will personally see to it that you both lick clean each and every one of my trophies. Its against the rules so cut it out unless you have a few weeks to spare cause that is how long it will take." Sue shouted across the gym to them and they quickly nodded their head in acceptance calling back a, "Yes Coach." Everyone knew how crazy she could be and that she probably was telling the truth about the trophies.

"Good, we don't want to pay the settlement if you smash up Chang's pretty face Fabray."

* * *

Once practice was over and the two wrestlers had showered and changed, Quinn, Rachel and Sam headed home. Brittany had said that she would catch a ride with Mercedes and Santana so they didn't have to wait for cheerleading practice to be over.

"What the hell is this?" Quinn questioned as they began the drive home and the new CD Sam had just put in blared to life. Sam shot her a confused look through his mirror to where she was sat in the back seat, glaring at his CD player.

"Its country." He explained defensively.

"Its crap!" Quinn responded and smiled lightly when she heard Rachel giggling quietly from the passenger seat. The diva had called 'eternal dibs' on the shotgun position.

"You just don't understand it." Sam continued defending his musical preference as some guy started the chorus of a song professing his love for a cup.

"Yeah, I just don't understand how you could waste your money on this."

"Says the girl who wastes her money on tattoos and hair dye." He knew he couldn't defend country music much longer, it was an acquired taste so he went for the change of topic and one Miss Rachel Berry did not disappoint.

"You have a tattoo!" She almost screamed it and she was certainly louder than the man on the CD.

Quinn could see what Sam had done and gave him a wry smile to show her admiration of the tactic. "Well played." She mouthed to him and he grinned back.

"Quinn!" Rachel drew her attention back to her as the brunette turned in her seat and Sam pulled the car into the Berry driveway.

"I'll show you them when we get in the house." Quinn promised and Rachel looked pleased by the response as she grabbed her bag and practically ran into the house.

When Quinn and Sam got into the house, Rachel was nowhere in sight but Hiram was stood in the hallway with a surprised look on his face. He started walking towards them as he said, "She was like a bolt of lightening, nearly knocked the coffee out of my hands." He gestured to the cup in his hand and then looked at the stairs as Rachel came back down. She was now bag-less, having put it in her room and was ready to examine Quinn.

She tried not to blush when naughty thoughts came into her head at the idea of examining Quinn.

"I am ready to see the, apparently multiple, tattoos now Quinn." The diva stated with her hands clasped in front of her and Hiram gasped at the revelation.

"Oh I definitely need to see that, I had no idea you had tattoos." Hiram spoke as he ushered them into the living room and Sam and Quinn dropped their bags by the sofa. Rachel was too engrossed with what she was about to see to care enough to scold them for not tidying their bags away.

"I have three in total and two of them are on my wrists so I am surprised you haven't seen them." Quinn explained as she took her jacket off and offered one wrist to Rachel and one to Hiram as Sam looked over her shoulder at the marked flesh.

"What do they mean?" Sam asked as he took in the Chinese symbols.

Rachel ran her finger gently over the flesh of her left wrist and she tried not to shiver at the sensation as she briefly wondered if she should tell the truth. She wasn't ashamed of having missed her siblings and so Quinn opted for the truth.

"They mean little brother and little sister." Quinn spoke quietly and couldn't make eye contact with anyone in the room.

"That is very sweet Quinn." Hiram said when it became apparent that nobody else knew what to say.

"So where is the other one?" Rachel asked and with the question the awkwardness was broken instantly and tangibly.

"Please don't say its on your ass because none of us want to see that." Sam smiled as he spoke and Quinn smiled back, glad that things hadn't become problematic after the translation of her tattoo's.

"Well you're lucky then because it is just above my ass." Quinn said as she lifted her shirt up to reveal pale white skin with a Chinese dragon inked across it. When revealing this one she felt far more vulnerable than with the other two because the pain the dragon represented was still so fresh.

"Well that is beautiful." Hiram was the first to comment again and Rachel just nodded her agreement and looked as if she wanted to reach out and touch it. Quinn knew she wouldn't be able to keep her cool if Rachel did touch it and so moved out of her reach to show Sam.

"That is awesome dude, what's the meaning behind that one?" Sam asked.

"Ah there is no meaning...I just thought it looked cool." Quinn lied as she lowered her shirt back down into place and the two men nodded whereas Rachel did not look convinced.

"Well that was a fun show and tell but I best get started on dinner because your Daddy will be home in an hour." Hiram spoke mainly to Rachel and then bustled into the kitchen to start cooking.

The three teenagers decided to go upstairs and do some homework in Rachel's room but Rachel was still looking for an opportunity to question Quinn. Her opportunity came when the doorbell rang and about 45 minutes later and Hiram shouted up and asked if someone could answer it as he was busy. They dreaded to think how badly the cooking had to be going for Hiram to be incapable of answering the door.

Sam got up from lounging on the floor to answer the door and as soon as he was out of sight Rachel said, "I don't believe what you said earlier."

Quinn dropped her pencil onto the desk and span slowly to face Rachel who was working on the bed. "What do you mean?" The pink haired girl questioned.

"You aren't the type of person to get a random tattoo Quinn so that dragon means something but its OK if you aren't willing to talk about it yet." Rachel looked so honest and caring that Quinn felt her walls break down a little but before she could reply Sam walked back in with worry written all over his face.

"Guys we have a problem." He stated simply before turning around and leading the girls downstairs to the living room.

Santana was sat on the sofa with a look of worry far greater than Sam's and wringing her hands together to a degree that it looked almost painful. Her eyes were wild and darting around the room as if she were thinking quickly and as soon as the three other teenagers returned to the room, she rose to her feet.

"San, what's going on?" Rachel asked and Quinn could almost predict what the problem was before a single word left the Latina's lips. Her heart dropped as her fears were confirmed.

"I can't find Brittany." Four words and everyone in the room stopped breathing. They didn't know how long they would have stood there frozen if Santana's sudden pacing hadn't broken them out of their stupor.

"She didn't come to cheerleading practice and so as soon as it was over I found Mercedes and she hadn't seen her. I started to panic so I came over here but she's not here either is she? You don't think she would go back to Dwight's house for any reason do you?" Santana was working herself into a frenzy in her worry for her girlfriend and it was mirrored in the others as it was so unlike Brittany to just disappear.

Rachel took the initiative and walked over to Santana, pulled her down onto the sofa and stroked her hand soothingly. It was a testament to how worried Santana was that she let herself be comforted like that.

Quinn's mind was racing a mile a minute as she tried to figure out what to do. It was so unlike Brittany to just disappear but the punk didn't think that Brittany misunderstood the danger that going back to her old home would present. She was confident that she must be somewhere else but a small doubt niggling in the back of her mind whispered the question of why would Brittany sneak off for any reason other than she knew her siblings wouldn't approve of what she was doing. Quinn had a genuine concern that if Brittany was anywhere near Dwight, intentionally or not, she would be in trouble. They had to find her.

When Sam looked at her, clearly asking what she thought they should do, she decided that it was time to take charge before they all turned into a panicking mess.

"OK, here is what we are going to do. Sam and Santana, you will go back to the school and see if Brittany is there and also ask the receptionist to see if Britt was in her classes today. Rach you stay here and call us if she turns up. Does that sound good to everyone?" Santana was already halfway to the door and Sam was nodding and walking a few steps behind her when Rachel spoke up.

"What are you going to do Quinn?" The look in her eyes told the pink haired girl that Rachel knew exactly where she was planning on going and that the brunette wanted to talk her out of it.

"I'm going to check out a hunch." She responded vaguely and Rachel looked unsatisfied with the answer whereas Santana and Sam made their way out of the door in acceptance of her plan.

"She wouldn't have gone there Quinn..." Rachel started but Quinn cut her off because she wanted to get going. She didn't want to risk leaving Brittany in a dangerous situation one second longer than necessary.

"Rachel...you know I have to check." Quinn said softly as she ran a finger gently along her jaw in an attempt to soothe her.

"I don't want you to get hurt...he is...that man is bad news." Rachel sighed knowing that her words would have no affect on the stubborn girl but needing to voice her concerns anyway.

She didn't respond to Rachel's words because what could she have said? Yes you're right? Dwight is a dangerous man and she didn't know what would happen? Instead of any of that, Quinn simply leaned forward and pressed her lips against the worry lines on the brunette's forehead before removing her hands and lips and letting Rachel watch her walk out of the door.

The drive to the house she had lived in for a little over a day was a blur and before she knew it she was parking Hiram's Prius down the road from the quiet house she was there to visit. She got out of the car and walked towards the darkened house and just observed it for a few moments. No lights were on, no car was in the driveway and Quinn felt fairly confident in assuming that nobody was home.

Quinn had to make sure that Brittany wasn't in there though and so she briskly walked up to the front door and turned the handle, expecting to meet resistance but finding none as the door swung open. She hesitated only for a second before taking some hesitant steps in and then abruptly stopping on the spot that she had so recently seen Sam occupying.

It almost felt as if she could here the groan of Dwight waking up all over again as she struggled to move her brother to the front door and to safety.

Then she realised that the sound of the groan had not come from her memory of that day but from the living room situated behind her. Her head turned slowly, her mind racing with the possibilities of what that sound meant.

The punk's busy mind was pulled from its thoughts as her head made the complete rotation and an overwhelming surge of pity replaced her previous fear. Dwight, the man she should call her father, was led on the floor in the living room, a vast and varying multitude of bottles surrounding him and smelling like he hadn't moved for days. His clothes were hanging off his thin body and tear drops were still wet on his cheeks.

He was the hollow shell of the man he had once been and Quinn felt sorry for him. She didn't want to and she knew the man had done nothing to warrant such an emotion but she felt the need to shed a tear for the broken man with nothing left.

Life had not been kind to Dwight Evans but he had done nothing to fight the bad things life had thrown at him and it was that knowledge that allowed Quinn to silently leave that house for the last time.

Brittany would not have been able to enter that house and pass by Dwight, she was too kind, meaning that as she was not with their father, she was not in that house. It was a solemn journey back and she pulled in a few houses away from the one she was currently occupying and rested her head against the steering wheel.

She surprised herself by what she did next. Closing her eyes, she offered up a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Dwight would find some semblance of peace in his life before she raised her head and ignored her conflicting emotions over her confusing actions.

That was when she saw a familiar head of long, blonde hair get out of a rusted old truck that just pulled up outside of the Berry residence and her whole body relaxed.

Brittany practically threw herself out of the truck before it had even come to a complete stop and started power-walking to the front door. Quinn then saw the boy Rachel was so keen for her to duet with, Puck she recalled, getting out of the driver's side and calling out something to the retreating figure. Whatever he said Brittany ignored as she didn't turn around or acknowledge him in any way before storming into the house and slamming the door behind her.

Sam's car and Leroy's car were parked in the driveway so she was sure Sam, Santana, Rachel and Rachel's Dads could deal with comforting Brittany for a few moments as she watched the boy's reaction.

Quinn knew very little about Puck, she didn't even know what his full name was, but she knew enough to recognise that the amount of emotion displayed on his face was not a normal occurrence for him. She barely had time to register what the emotions were before he shot back into his truck and floored it out of the street.

A few moments passed and the exhaust fumes had dissipated when Quinn got out of her own car and walked to the house. She was still pondering what she had seen, for all she knew Brittany and

Puck were not friends, when she saw a scene that confused her even more as she got into the house.

Brittany was stood in the middle of the room looking ready to bolt at any moment with her brother, girlfriend and best friend surrounding her each with varying emotions written across their face. The one that really stood out to Quinn however was the pain clearly etched across the usually fixed features of Santana Lopez.

"Just leave me alone, I don't need to deal with your crap today Santana!" Those were the words that had come out of Brittany's mouth just before the Latina's face had crumpled and before Brittany managed to barge her way out of the room, effectively shoulder checking Quinn who was stood in the doorway.

The four teenagers stood in shock at what had just occurred before Santana silently walked from the room and eased the front door closed behind her as she left. It only took a few seconds before Quinn found herself rushing after Santana's retreating form and the pink haired girl caught up with her at the end of their driveway.

"Santana...please stop." Quinn called as she paused a few feet away. A distinct sniffle sounded through the still evening air as the girl did as directed but didn't turn to face the older girl.

Quinn felt her heart go out to the girl that went crying from their house and felt the need to comfort her in the way Brittany, or anyone that knew Santana better than she did, should have been doing. The gap was closed between them in a couple of steps and Quinn gently rested her hand on Santana's shoulder.

"Please look at me?" Quinn asked softly. She had never been good at dealing with upset people but she knew she had to try because despite how Brittany was feeling towards Santana at that moment, the girl was still kind of like family.

"I just need to be anywhere but here Fabray." Santana responded to the request in a croaky voice, still not turning around.

"OK then...I'll take you there." Quinn said and Santana didn't need to be looking at her to sense the smile in her voice. It intrigued her enough to make her turn around to see sparkling hazel eyes.

"What...?" The question died off and Quinn's smile widened knowing that she had the girl interested.

"Get in the car and you'll find out Lopez." Quinn called over her shoulder as she got into Hiram's car again and after a short delay saw the passenger door open and Santana climb in.

"Wherever you are taking me it better sell booze or I'm going to cut you Fabray." Santana half-heartedly threatened as they pulled away from the house although she did sound like she was pretty serious about the booze thing.

Quinn found it hard to disagree with her. It had been a hard couple of days and she wasn't yet used to not solving her problems by drinking them away as had been her coping mechanism over the last few months. A few beers sounded like it could really help de-stress her and Santana right now.

"No need for violence, your wish is my command." Quinn muttered as she drove towards a bar she had seen when she passed through town with her mother the first day in Lima.

They had both eyed the place up wistfully.

The drive was silent but both girl's needed to think about what had happened. Brittany had been acting so out of character so something was clearly wrong. Santana was systematically going through everything she had done that day and blaming Brittany's mood on every little thing she had done whereas Quinn was blaming the sudden change on a certain Mohawked boy.

When Judy and Quinn had driven past the bar it had been early morning and so the place had been closed and the metal shutter drawn over the front leaving nothing but the sign viewable. Now, in the early evening there was no reason Quinn could see that they should have bothered with the protection of the metal shutter. The place was a dive.

A few rusted out cars and trucks were sat in the dirty car park and the dingy door and smudged windows gave the impression that this was not the place Quinn was hoping it would be.

"This place will do besides the sign says they have a pool table." Santana spoke for the first time in a while when she saw the indecision on Quinn's face.

Quinn had barely stopped the car when Santana practically launched herself from her seat and towards the grimy looking bar.

Not wanting to let the brunette venture into the place alone, Quinn quickly parked the car under a street light and rushed after Santana.

The bar was pretty much what the outside prepared you for. A long, dirty bar, a couple of booths with ripped fabric on the seats and a pool table in the back corner. There were a couple of old TV's dotted around showing various sports on fuzzy screens and a few drunk and slightly comatose looking patrons staring bleary eyed at the bad picture.

Nobody noticed them walk in until Santana plopped herself down at the bar and the bartender wandered over. He was a middle aged guy with greying hair and a pot belly who looked like he didn't give a damn about anything.

"Two shots of whiskey and two beers." Santana ordered looking at the two screens closest to her and eventually decided on watching the basketball rather than the football. She hated football.

Quinn took the stool next to her as the bartender slid the drinks in front of them with a nod. Quinn nodded back politely but the man had already turned away and Santana simply ignored him completely.

They were in sync as they picked up there shots, downed them in one and then reached for their respective beers.

"I'm impressed Fabray, you sure can handle your drink." Santana complimented before taking a long pull from her bottle.

"That's not something to be impressed by." Quinn stated as she mirrored her companion's actions and prayed she would start to feel a buzz soon.

Santana said nothing in response, merely excepting Quinn's words with a tilt of her head before watching the game.

They each were about four bottles in by the time that Quinn had finally had enough of the not talking thing. The recent buzz she was on from the liquor helped her to stand and make her way over to the pool table with a set of chocolate eyes watching her.

"Afraid of losing some money Lopez." Quinn challenged and watched the Latina's eyes sparkle with excitement from part way across the room. She chugged the last of her beer, ordered another and then joined Quinn at the table. Santana chose her weapon as Quinn racked up the balls.

"What are we playing for?" Santana asked, looking the most alive she had since she had walked in the dump.

"How about the tab?" Quinn proposed and Santana grinned in agreement.

"Then break Fabray before you chicken out." The brunette taunted.

The wind was promptly taken from Santana's sails when Quinn potted a ball from the break and proceeded to pot two more before she missed a shot. Santana gulped before taking her shot, making a good show of being in awe before potting two of her own in a row and grinning cockily.

"Game on Fabray!"

* * *

It was five games of pool, two basketball games on the dirty TV, an unknown number of hours and countless amounts of beer and shots later that the two girls stumbled out of the bar. The car park was dark and there was only two cars left including their own.

They managed to make it to the Prius without damaging themselves however Santana stopped a few feet away and so Quinn mimicked the action.

"Q-Ball we have a problem." Santana slurred at her pink haired counterpart. Quinn had recently picked up the new nickname after potting the Q ball and therefore accidentally giving Santana two free shots when they were playing pool. It was a bad shot and Santana wouldn't let her live it down.

"Yeah, the problem is that you keep calling me that San." Quinn slurred back as she started to fiddle with her keys and move towards the car.

"No wait!" Santana called too loudly before she tripped and head-butted Quinn's shoulder as she moved towards the slightly taller girl.

"What the hell San!" Quinn asked as she rubbed her shoulder.

Santana leaned forward as if she was about to impart some valuable wisdom. She had a dead serious look on her face as she said, "Quinn...we are drunk."

Quinn couldn't help it, she laughed. She laughed so hard she fell on her ass on the gravel covered car park, clutching at her side and wheezed out, "No shit Sherlock."

The brunette rolled her eyes as she knelt down next to the punk with only minor wobbles. "What I mean is that we can't drive." Quinn's eyes cleared slightly and she appreciated the seriousness of what Santana was saying.

"OK so you got your phone on you?" Quinn questioned knowing full well that hers had died earlier when they were in the bar playing angry birds non stop.

"Nah, I left it at Berry's place...on the table... I kind of rushed out." It was useful that Quinn was a drunk as Santana or she probably wouldn't have been able to catch the majority of the incoherent drunk talk. Luckily she did though it was doubtful anybody else would be able to at that point.

"Damn what are we gonna do?" Quinn asked, looking around as if the answer was in their immediate vicinity.

It turned out it was.

They both looked at the car then looked at each other and before Quinn could even open her mouth Santana had called out, "Dibs on the back seat." Her fast scramble towards the back seat left Quinn feeling a little dizzy and she hadn't even noticed that Santana had taken the keys.

She wandered over to the boot of the car and sure enough there was an emergency blanket which Quinn grabbed before jumping into the passengers seat. She had seen enough television to know that the car didn't have to be on for you to get charged with drunk driving, you just had to be drunk and sat in the driver's seat.

"Hey no fair Q-Ball, you gotta share." Santana moaned when she saw Quinn wrap herself up and shut her eyes.

"No way San, you got the back seat! You can't have both." Quinn claimed without opening her eyes.

"Fine." Santana huffed before settling down and letting the quiet of the night fill the still car air.

After a few minutes of silence Santana's voice filled the air again but with far more vulnerability in it than the pink haired girl had ever heard before.

"Do you think she still loves me?"

Quinn thought before she responded. They seemed to have made a bond and she didn't want to shatter that by lying to the girl. She needed the truth and if you can't handle the truth when drunk you probably won't be able to handle it whilst sober.

"Its was just a little fight San. Love just doesn't disappear. You did the right thing, you gave her some time to cool off and now you can talk about it tomorrow after we get over the huge hangover we will undoubtedly have." It had taken huge effort on Quinn's part to actually come up with something meaningful when she as drunk as she was but she managed it.

"Thanks Quinn...for...for everything." Santana responded quietly and genuinely before they both let the silence envelop them again.

* * *

They say that bad things come in threes.

The first made itself known the following Monday morning.

That was the first time that Quinn Fabray met Finn Hudson.

* * *

**A/N: So what do you guys think is going on with Brittany? What do you think Finn has up his sleeve? Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review...**


	11. Besting Finn Hudson

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Eleven

* * *

**A/N: So again I kind of made up some of the legal stuff here. Don't know what the law in Ohio is about this stuff but it fits my story well so I went with it.**

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_It was the greatest tragedy that they had ever faced in their whole eight years of life. However a young Lucy Fabray was fast learning that she was good under pressure and with a surprisingly weighty brunette boy crying on her shoulder she decided that she had to do something. _

_Lucy got Dave to stay where he was whilst she went in search of the one man who always made everything better for her. Russell was in his office working through some paperwork, though he had decidedly more interesting things to be doing on a Saturday, when the little blonde girl came rushing into the room._

_He immediately dropped what he was doing and spun around just in time to catch his daughter, who had flung herself into his arms. "What's wrong honey?" Russell asked with concern as he subtly felt her forehead just in case she was running a fever or had some kind of illness._

_Lucy pulled her head away but kept her arms wrapped around Russell's neck as she asked, "Do you know how to pick locks Daddy?" _

_Russell was taken aback by the request and briefly considered lying and saying that he didn't because it was illegal to break into places with that skill but thought it better to tell the truth. Teach by example after all. Plus he didn't have to tell her where he had picked up that skill and he wasn't friends with that guy any more so he really had nothing to hide._

"_I do honey, why do you ask?" Russell spoke slowly._

"_I need you to teach me Daddy." Lucy replied and started pulling the blonde man out of the room._

"_Lucy?" Russell asked for more elaboration as he let himself be pulled from the room._

"_There is no time Daddy, Dave is crying." OK so that was more information and it did speed Russell up but he was still confused until he saw the small boy clutching a locked wooden box and sobbing into the varnish._

_At the movement of them entering Dave looked up with watery eyes as he pleaded, "Hey Mr Fabray, can you please help me?" _

"_What's the problem?" Russell asked kindly._

"_Its my dream box, I...I lost the key!" Dave ended with a few more sniffles and Russell quickly went and grabbed a set of lock picks he kept in his desk for emergencies before walking back to the two kids to see his daughter holding the significantly larger boy in her tiny arms._

"_May I see that box David?" Russell asked politely and held out a hand and waited. Dave looked unsure at first but realised that the man was trying to help and so passed it over._

_Russell placed the box on Lucy's bed and gestured for the two children to come and watch as he explained how to pick the lock on the box. He explained mostly to Lucy as she was the one who had asked to be taught and the girl took it all in with rapt attention. _

_When the lock popped open Dave practically tackled Russell in a hug for a few seconds before grabbing his box and sorting through the contents to ensure that everything was present and accounted for._

_As Dave was busy, Russell asked Lucy to follow him back to the office. Once they were sat down Russell said, "You are a very smart girl Lucy so I know you only needed to see that once to learn how to do it but you need to know something. Just because you have the skills to open locks it doesn't mean that you should use that skill for bad reasons. You have a responsibility to yourself not to. Do you understand?" _

"_So you're saying I should only do that for good reasons like helping Dave?" Lucy asked with her head cocked to the side, trying to understand._

"_Yes, that's exactly right." Russell confirmed and a grin broke out on her face at having gotten it right. _

"_OK, I won't do anything bad, I promise Daddy." Lucy promised before she went back to Dave and helped him organise his dream box._

_END OF FLASHBACK _

A lot of people thought that Finn Hudson was an idiot and that was probably true in most respects. However in a few ways that giant of a boy was underestimated. Under the gormless features he so often hid behind there lurked a cunning ability that allowed him to get whatever he wanted from people. It was the same skill he used to wrap Mr Schue completely around his little finger and it was what he planned to use in order to ensure that things started going his way in McKinley high school.

Nobody would ever call Finn Hudson an idiot again.

He relished the look of complete shock that registered on Sam Evans' face when the blonde first caught a glimpse of the tall boy stumbling down the hallway that Monday morning. He especially savoured the look of impotent rage on Santana's face when he sent a smirk in her direction. Most of all however he enjoyed the slight look of fear on Rachel's face and the way a little bit of the sparkle went out of her eyes as soon as he got close.

Until he saw a pink haired girl searching him with a piercing gaze as she kept a soothing hand on Rachel's arm. He hated the way that Rachel seemed to relax a little at the comfort the punky looking girl was providing and also he also hated how uncomfortable the searching stare made him. Finn was known for having a non existent fuse on his temper and so he instantly saw red and had an immense desire to smash the unknown girl's face in.

Whatever action he was preparing to take was cut short by the first bell of the day ringing and people scurrying furiously around him. He saw the pink haired girl steer Rachel away from him as fast as she could and they were soon lost in the crowd. Finn wasn't worried though...he would have his chance. He had them all exactly where he wanted them and it was only a matter of time until he brought down his fist and destroyed everything that Sam Evans held close.

Finn Hudson was many things but an idiot was not one of them.

* * *

Sam was worried, Santana was angry, Rachel was scared, Quinn was confused and Brittany was humming the Power Rangers theme song.

Thankfully the five of them were not in the same classroom or the emotions may have caused chaos to any students in the crossfire, particularly if they fell in the way of Santana. Another good thing was that although Rachel and Brittany had a different lesson to Sam, Santana and Quinn, none of the group were in a lesson with Finn until second period. That meant a little bit of time to collect themselves whilst pretending to listen to Mrs Bentley's Trigonometry lesson in the case of the latter three.

It also helped that the old bat was a little deaf and would just keep talking regardless of what was going on. It meant that Quinn had time to ask her two companions some questions.

"I need to know exactly what happened with Hudson." Quinn demanded, spinning around in her seat so she could look directly at the two teenagers sat behind her. Sam sighed and looked reluctant to talk so Santana filled her in.

"The same day that you turned up in Lima, Hudson was hitting on Rachel and grabbed her arm. It was hurting her so Sam told him to let her go and then he said some stuff about them and Sam beat the crap out of him. He has been in the hospital since then and today he is back in school." It took everything inside Quinn not to go and find Hudson and beat the ever living crap out of him. She refrained only because she had more questions.

"Did he press charges?" She asked quietly as she didn't want the surrounding class members to pick up on their conversation and for it to get back to Finn that he had them worried. She didn't want him to have the satisfaction of knowing that.

"No and we don't know why." Sam spoke for the first time and she realised why he had yet to speak yet. The worry was evident in his voice and he was clearly afraid of the power Finn Hudson had over him. If Quinn was being honest she was afraid too.

"I suppose we will find out today." Santana said ominously as they all turned their eyes to the front of the classroom but not a single one was paying attention.

* * *

Nobody thought that Quinn Fabray was stupid and that was because she wasn't. In fact she was very smart and that was why she had immediately started thinking of motives, of possible gains. She started thinking of things that they had that Finn could want and how she could thwart his attempts to get it.

To that end she watched him during the second lesson that she and Brittany shared with him. In fact she watched him all day in an effort to understand the large boy. She could tell that her constant staring was simultaneously angering him and freaking him out but she just didn't care.

It was at the start of lunch when Finn finally decided to make his move because he wasn't known for being a patient person. He approached Quinn, Rachel and Sam outside of the English classroom they had all just been in.

"I need to talk to you two." He said in what was too happy a voice for a boy with what looked like a broken face, as he gestured to Sam and Rachel.

Quinn glanced at Sam but he had already said what she was thinking, "You can talk to all three of us." He looked infuriated that he had been denied even such a simple thing but he reigned it in with a lot of effort. He was in no position to make demands...yet.

He glared at Quinn before speaking to Sam, "I am not here for small talk so lets cut to the chase. I could have you sent to jail. Assault is a serious crime especially with how my face looks. You would lose everything. Your position on the team, your chance at a scholarship..." He trailed off to let the unlovely picture he had painted with his words sink in.

"Where are you going with this?" Sam asked quietly but he could already see where this was going. They all could.

"What would you do to avoid of all that Sam?" He asked innocently but with a devilish smirk that betrayed his tone.

He let the silence carry on for a few uncomfortable moments and when it was clear that he would get no answer he turned to Rachel and asked, "What would you do to save your best friend." The leer on his face and suggestiveness in his tone caused Quinn to growl and place herself between Rachel and Finn.

Finn looked angered when his view of Rachel was blocked and he took a step forward to forcibly move the girl out of the way but Rachel stepped out from behind Quinn before he had a chance to do anything.

Quinn gave her a questioning look but she sent one back that told Quinn to trust her and so the pink haired girl stayed in her place but kept a cautious eye on the large boy.

"What is it that you want Finn?" Rachel asked cautiously, not standing too close to him as she spoke.

Finn got the grin on his face again and she saw Sam shift uncomfortably on the other side of Rachel at the look.

"I want two things and if you give them both to me then Sam will stay a free man with a clean record. Firstly, I want to be Captain of the football team." This time it was Rachel that took a step forward as she couldn't believe that this boy was trying to take away one of the most important things to her best friend.

A hand on her arm stopped her from getting any closer to Finn and she turned to see her best friend had restrained her. "You aren't good enough for that position Finn, the coach would never give it to you. Its simply not up to me." Sam's voice was surprisingly calm for the anger that was contained inside him but he knew that causing more damage to Finn Hudson was not going to help him.

"Well then you will convince her and you now have sufficient motivation to do so." Finn said.

Sam just inclined his head in a non-committal gesture as they waited to hear his next condition.

"I want Rachel as my girlfriend." Again he leered at her and Quinn was shaking with her anger. The images of Finn pawing at Rachel with his meaty hands made her feel sick but she didn't know what to do. He had them trapped. In all her watching and thinking about him that day she had only thought that he would try to take Sam's position and that was something they could get back with a little time. Rachel's virginity on the other hand was something they could not and would not let him take.

"Are you saying you are going to force her to..." Quinn couldn't even finish her sentence but with the low, dangerous quality of her voice it just made it seem as if she were daring him to finish her sentence. Which he did.

"Get on her knees any time I want it? You bet ya!" He laughed with a maniacal gleam in his eye.

The game had completely changed and they all knew it. Even Finn knew it and he was grinning as he turned to walk down the hall.

"See you at practice Sam. Should be an interesting one!"

His evil laugh was heard even after he had disappeared around the corner.

* * *

"So what are we going to do?" Santana asked from her position sat on the ledge of the roof. Sam, Quinn and Rachel had found Santana, Brittany and Mercedes straight away and brought them up to Sam's secret place on the roof to talk about what they should do about Finn's demands.

"We should just kick his ass until he can't play football or do...anything else." Sam shot a quick glance to Rachel and she flinched slightly in her seat at what he was implying. Quinn quickly took the seat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her and the brunette sank gratefully into the embrace.

"We can't do that Sam or you would definitely end up in jail. We need to be smarter then that." Quinn replied as she shook her head to try to clear it. There had to be a way to take the power away from Finn.

"What about we pretend to toss his keys in a lake? He'd be stupid enough to stay under until he found them." Santana suggested with a sneer.

"Be serious Santana, this is about saving my brother from going to jail." Brittany said coldly to Santana which promptly took the wind out of the Latina's sails and made a sadness sweep across her face that Brittany ignored.

"What about getting some information on him? Like a double blackmail thing?" Mercedes asked the group and Sam and Quinn immediately looked at each other having been struck with the same thought.

"You know what I'm thinking Sammy, would you be up for it?" Quinn asked with a wry smile.

"You know I am. We will have to do it tonight to avoid any possible..." He struggled to find the right words as he winced at Rachel, "...Finn and Rachel alone time." The blonde boy had phrased it as nicely as possible but again Rachel flinched and then buried herself more into Quinn's arms.

"I'll come with you, I know all the codes and entrances to the school because of my position." Santana offered having caught on to what they were going to do straight away. Her voice however lacked a little of the life it had previously had and she kept glancing at Brittany who was steadfastly looking into the distance.

"OK, thanks San, that sounds good." Quinn smiled but the Latina's responding smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

The bell signalling the end of lunch then rang in the distance and they all went their separate ways and once the others were out of sight, Quinn pulled on Brittany's shoulder to stop her.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Quinn said quietly so as to not be overheard by the dozens of students pushing their way through the halls.

"I'm fine Quinn just leave it alone." Brittany demanded, not making eye contact before walking off down the hall and not once looking back as she disappeared into the throng of students.

Quinn watched her walk away and decided that she needed to talk with Puck if Brittany didn't turn back into her old self very soon. It would have to wait for now though as she was late to class but she hoped she would be able to talk to Mohawked boy when she went to football practice after school to support Sam or maybe the next morning's practice if they were too busy with Finn.

The lessons were uncomfortable that afternoon as Quinn found herself constantly worrying about Rachel and she pictured all sorts of scenarios where Finn cornered her and did what he promised he would do earlier. It was making her uneasy and angry all at the same time and it didn't even matter that Finn was actually in her class, snoring away at the back of the room, she was still worried about Rachel.

It was with great relief that Quinn watched Rachel walk towards her at the end of the day as Sam and Quinn sat on the bleachers waiting to talk to the coach. As soon as the brunette was in reach, Quinn pulled her into a tight hug and whispered in her ear, "I missed you." She could feel Rachel's plump lips curl into a smile against her neck and she whispered back, "I missed you too."

They pulled apart as they heard someone cough pointedly and they looked at Sam who pointed at Finn storming his way across the field. He had clearly seen them hugging and was no longer unsure of who the hell the pink haired girl was. She was the girl that was trying to steal Rachel away from him.

"Get your hands off her you filthy dyke." Finn screamed so that half of the guys already on the field could hear him.

"You are a dead man Hudson!" Sam shouted and lunged for the boy but Coach Beiste quickly jumped in front of him and caught him by the shoulders, causing the boy to wince. His back was healing well but it was still very sore and the large football coach wasn't known for having a gentle touch.

"What's going on here?" Beiste shouted as she glared between the four teenagers all of who refused to talk. Sam took deep breaths to try to calm himself and work through the pain at the same time and both Finn and Rachel looked murderous.

"Well?...Talk!" She shouted again and Rachel decided to be the voice of the group.

"Finn came running over and started hurling abuse at Quinn. I think it is completely inappropriate and the matter should be taken up with the Principal because it is simply not acceptable to..." Rachel's rant was cut short by a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at Quinn who was looking quite pale.

"I think that this is an issue we can resolve between ourselves Coach if that is OK with you?" Quinn asked the large woman quietly and the Coach looked unsure.

"If this involves abusive behaviour then maybe the Principal should be involved girly." Beiste stated throwing an accusatory glance at Finn who completely ignored her.

"I think we will be OK Coach but if anything gets out of hand I will make sure you are the first one we call." Quinn promised with a clearly fake smile.

Beiste once again looked unsure but the decision was taken out of her hands when two football players called her from the centre of the field because one boy had gotten his helmet stuck on his head. She heaved a sigh, gave a worried glance at Quinn and then walked off onto the field with a shout of, "Don't spray that in there Johnson!"

"Why did you do that? You saved him." Rachel asked quietly in Quinn's ear making the pink haired girl shiver from the gentle breath against her neck.

Quinn made sure to make eye contact with Finn the whole time and she whispered back, "You can never have too much blackmail material." Rachel gave her a knowing look and Sam just continually glared at Finn.

"Ready to tell the Coach that I will be Captain?" Finn said sweetly and Sam just walked off in the direction of Beiste and Finn followed after shooting a quick wink to Rachel.

The brunette shuddered in disgust at the action so Quinn decided to make the situation a little better.

"Hey Rach." She said and as soon as the smaller girl turned around, Quinn planted her lips softly onto Rachel's. It was only for a few seconds and it was simple lip contact but both girls felt infinitely better because of it. After their lips separated they wrapped their arms around each other until they saw Sam starting to walk back over with a now smirking Finn in tow.

Neither of the girls really had time to worry about the fact that they hadn't really labelled their relationship. They knew that they liked each other, they were always holding hands or touching and they had kissed twice but Quinn hadn't found the right opportunity to ask Rachel out yet. Rachel was expecting her to do it, she knew that much (Rachel had subtly stated as much during dinner one night) but she wanted to ask her in a special way and was unsure of how that should be. She had only ever had one girlfriend before and Quinn had never felt about her the way that she felt about Rachel.

Any thoughts on the subject were cut short when Finn and Sam reached them and Quinn squeezed Sam's shoulder comfortingly, being careful to avoid his damaged back.

"Who the hell _are_ you?" Finn asked rudely. He had been watching Quinn and she had a weird relationship with Rachel and Sam which he just couldn't understand.

"Quinn Fabray." Quinn said shortly, offering no more information and enjoying the frustration made clear on Finn's face.

"Why are..." She didn't let him finish as she took a step closer to him and said in a deadly low voice that even Finn was smart enough to be weary of.

"No, you don't get to ask any more questions. You have made your demands of us and that is all you will get from us Hudson. I told you my name only because I want you to have a name to curse when your plans come crashing down around you." Quinn spun around when she was done and ushered Sam and Rachel in front of her as they started to walk away.

"Breadsticks, tonight at 7 Rach. Tell your Dads you won't be home." Finn called before turning away to get back to practice.

"Damn it!" Quinn muttered. He'd won that round.

* * *

They were all ready and in position to make sure that Finn Hudson did not get what he wanted from Rachel Berry that night.

Quinn cursed anything that sprang to mind constantly all of that afternoon since the practice. Finn had actually outsmarted her. There was no way that they could get the blackmail material before the date that night and the 'dyke' comment wasn't going to be good enough on its own.

The only thing that they could do was make sure that they got Rachel away from Finn quick enough that night and when he confronted them the next morning they had to have the blackmail they needed to get him to back down.

That was why Quinn and Brittany were currently sat in a booth in the corner of Breadsticks, in a place where Rachel could see them but Finn could not unless he completely spun himself around. Sam was sat at the bar in the far corner of the room, again where only Rachel could see him and he was drinking continuous Coke's because the bartender wouldn't serve him. Mercedes was sat in her car outside with it turned on and ready to go as soon as they needed her.

Santana had, by far, the worst position but after Brittany had point blank refused to sit in the booth with Santana, the Latina had gone to the ladies toilets with little argument. Well she wasn't in the toilets, she was stood in the little hallway next to the toilets just in case Rachel wanted to get away from Finn for a little while and he decided to follow.

The plan was that they would stay there for about an hour or until Finn tried something at which point Rachel would fake a call from her Dads and say she had to leave. Quinn and Sam would then do some distracting whilst Brittany ran Rachel out to the waiting car and whilst Finn was otherwise occupied. Hopefully Rachel would be a mile away before Finn realised that she wasn't there.

Quinn just hoped they could get the beautiful little brunette out of there before Finn forced her to do anything sexual. The very idea made her feel sick and it had made her reluctant to let Rachel go to the restaurant at all but she realised that they had no other options and Rachel was determined to do it.

Leroy had even been able to sense there had been something wrong before they left because Quinn had trouble letting Rachel out of the hug they were sharing. Rachel had eventually and reluctantly managed to pull away and shot a reassuring smile at the taller girl that was not real. She was more scared than anyone but she didn't want Quinn to know that.

As Sam, Brittany and Rachel made their way out to the car before they left, Leroy had pulled Quinn aside and whispered a few words in her ear to prevent Hiram hearing them.

"Make sure you keep her safe." Leroy said. Quinn looked into his large brown eyes so like his daughter's, though they obviously weren't blood related, and could see the worry shining in them. He didn't know what was going on but she could tell that he trusted her to keep them all safe.

She had given a firm nod and he had patted her on the shoulder before they drove to Breadsticks in an uncharacteristic silence. It had been uncomfortable but Quinn had wished they could stay in the car just to avoid the evening though it was an unrealistic wish. Finn Hudson needed to be dealt with.

They made sure that they had gotten there half an hour before Finn did so he wouldn't see them sitting around the room. He was quiet self absorbed most of the time and so they were hoping he would solely focus on Rachel.

When he finally lumbered in, he sat down straight away without taking any time to look around to check they were alone. Either he was overly confident or overly stupid.

"Lets hope this thing goes fast right Britt?" Quinn questioned quietly as she pretended to scan a menu. When she got no response she peered over the top of the laminated card at her sister to see her staring at Santana but with an angry look in her eyes.

"What has she done Britt?" Quinn asked gently and the question finally caught the blonde's attention as she dragged her eyes away from her brunette counterpart just visible around the bend that led to the toilets.

"What? She hasn't done anything. Why would you ask that?" Brittany asked with wide eyes.

"Um just because you were glaring at her and looking all angry and you have been fighting..." Quinn trailed off because Brittany was looking angrier with every word she spoke and it was very disconcerting having never really seen that look on her little sister's face before.

"I am not angry with her, she is perfect. I will admit we have been have difficulties but she hasn't done anything wrong..." Brittany was now tearing up and Quinn was frozen in her seat, the menu stiffly held between her hands as she figured out what to do.

She had never been good with crying people and she wasn't really sure if this new Brittany would bite her head off for coming anywhere near her but they were family so she had to try something.

Quinn shuffled around in the booth until she was within arms reach of the taller girl and then put a soothing hand on her shoulder. Almost immediately Brittany let out a loud sob and collapsed into Quinn's surprised arms.

Luckily the loud noise wasn't enough to make Rachel and Finn look over and notice them but the people on the tables surrounding them and Santana stood a few metres away had all noticed and the latter was looking exceptionally torn. Quinn guessed that she wanted to come over and comfort Brittany but didn't want to get yelled at again for doing so. It was obvious how much it broke her heart to have Brittany mad at her.

"Shush Britt, its going to be OK. I'm here for you. It'll be OK." Quinn muttered calming phrases into her sister's ear and started running her hand through the thick blonde locks sprawled across her chest. She always liked it when people stroked her hair and she thought it would be a good guess that Brittany would too.

"I can't do this Quinn...I...I need to get out of here!" Brittany harshly pulled away from the embrace, grabbed her purse and walked out of the restaurant without a second thought. Quinn just sat there frozen not quite sure what had just happened and in disbelief that Brittany had actually and very suddenly left.

Her gaze fell on Santana as the Latina made her way over and slid into the booth opposite the pink haired girl. "What the hell happened?" Santana whisper screamed and Quinn glanced towards the boy they were trying to stay hidden from. He was looking at Rachel with a perverted look in his eyes and Rachel looked like she wanted to slap him. Quinn made a mental note that they had to get her out of there soon.

"I just asked what was going on between the two of you and she started crying then ran off. Said that she couldn't do..." Quinn trailed off as the brunette who had captured her heart captured her attention. As Quinn watched, Finn slid forward in the booth so that his hand was edging closer to Rachel under the table.

"She couldn't do what?" Santana asked, trying in vain to get the taller girl's attention.

Quinn stood up and gestured over to Sam who got the message and started to walking towards the unhappy couple as Santana quickly realised what was happening and called Rachel's number.

The sounds of Santana pretending to be Leroy Berry faded into the background as Quinn picked up a plate of spaghetti from a waitresses tray without the waitress noticing and Sam started talking to the group of people sat on the table next to Finn and Rachel.

Rachel carried on talking to Santana, using her acting abilities to try to make Finn believe there was a family emergency, as she stood up and made to leave. Finn reached to physically stop her and even stood up to get a better reach but suddenly their was a scream from a girl at the table of people Sam had been talking too.

The group of six teenagers suddenly stood up and made to rush out the door allowing Rachel to slip out with them. Finally Quinn made her way over to Finn who was about to chase after Rachel and dumped the plate on his head and had disappeared before he had even wiped the sauce out of his eyes.

Rachel rushed towards her getaway car and before the door had even closed, Mercedes' was speeding out of the car park. Two minutes later Quinn, Sam and Santana were walking down the street away from Breadsticks to get on with phase two of their plan.

"Dude what the hell did you end up telling that table to get them to leave?" Santana asked with genuine curiosity and a slight chuckle in her voice. The plan had called for Sam to get some people to storm out and provide cover but Quinn had only told him to be creative with how he did it.

"I told them that there was rat droppings in their food and that the restaurant would be happy to compensate them for their troubles...you know...if they didn't die first. Once one girl had gone screaming the rest followed." Sam finished with a proud smile and his two companions high-fived him.

"Nice one." Quinn complemented.

"Lets just hope the rest of the night goes by as smoothly as Operation: Forced Date." Sam said.

"You gave it a code name?" Quinn and Santana both said at the same time but Quinn said it with appreciation and Santana said it derisively.

"Yeah...do you want to hear what I've called the next mission?" Sam asked with excitement as they rounded the corner onto Rachel's street. They were all very glad to see Rachel, Brittany and Mercedes through Rachel's bedroom window and to know that they had gotten home safely.

When the blonde boy received two nods he gave it a big build up and then announced, "Operation: Break In!"

"Lame." Santana snorted as they stopped next to the bushes outside the house and pulled out a duffel bag they had previously left there.

"Come up with something better then Santana." Sam challenged as they pulled on their black hoodies over their t-shirts.

"Challenge accepted."

* * *

As the three partners in crime prepared themselves outside the house there was some serious girl talk going on inside the house. Rachel had made sure they had secluded themselves in her bedroom to keep from the intrusive ears of one Hiram Berry. Though she had never felt more loved than when she first entered the house to be encircled by a Berry group hug, almost as if her Dads' had known what had been going on that evening and knew that she would need comfort.

Once in the bedroom, Rachel and Brittany settled themselves on the edge of the bed whereas Mercedes grabbed the desk chair and wheeled it so that she could sit in front of them.

"So how did it go girl? What did he try?" Mercedes asked leaning towards the smaller brunette and having not been there to witness the event, was keen to know what had happened.

"Well he didn't actually do much. He made a lot of lewd comments which were frankly disgusting and he reached his hand under the table towards...me but I managed to bat it away." Rachel's eyes hazed over as she seemed to relive her ordeal and it ended with a shudder before Rachel felt herself pulled into Brittany's familiar arms.

They both held on for a few minutes, both needing the comfort and Mercedes cast an observing eye over Brittany. There was something different about her that she couldn't quite place. When the blonde started to cry it was Rachel that noticed first because Brittany's face was buried in her hair and she felt the drops hitting the top of her head.

"Britt, what's wrong?" Rachel asked with worry as she pulled away to look into watery blue eyes. Mercedes then realised what was happening and scooted her chair even closer, reaching out to take a pale hand in hers.

"I am so sorry guys. So sorry." Brittany cried as she diverted her gaze from that of two of her closest friends. Her closest except for Santana and that thought caused her to break into even heavier sobs.

Rachel and Mercedes looked on bewildered by what was happening but nearly crying along with the broken girl. Rachel reached to give Brittany another hug but the blonde quickly pulled away and sped towards the door.

"I just can't...I-I'm sorry." Brittany apologized again before fleeing the room despite her friends calls. There was only one person right now who knew what Brittany was going through, who she could talk to and she found herself going back to him time after time.

* * *

An hour later saw Quinn, Sam and Santana stood outside McKinley high school with black face masks on and about to embark on Operation: School Infiltration. Sam begrudgingly agreed that it was a marginally cooler name.

"Guys why are we wearing face masks? I can't even see any cameras." Quinn asked when they were stood next to the front doors.

"That was why we were wearing them? I thought we were just doing it to look cool." Sam said as he pulled his up to rest on the top of his head.

"I thought it was in case we got caught?" Santana added as she pulled hers up as well.

"Are you kidding guys I spent $30 on these at a costume shop when I didn't have to? Nobody is ever here this late. Even Figgins leaves by four o'clock!" Quinn sighed as she ripped her mask off and threw it into the duffel hanging off her shoulder. Santana also threw hers into the bag however Sam pulled the material back down over his face and a grin was visible through his mouth-hole as he plastered himself against the brick wall next to the doors.

He started doing some weird moves with his fingers which were promptly ignored and the two girls let Sam live out his spy/villain fantasies in peace. Quinn knelt down next to the keyhole and put to use the skills her father had taught her all those years ago. It vaguely occurred to her that what she was doing may be classed as breaking her promise to him however in her mind it was for a very good cause and she just hoped that her Dad would understand.

It took a tense few minutes filled with only the sound of Sam humming the James Bond theme until they heard the click that made them all breathe a sigh of relief. The door swung open and Santana rushed past her to key in the code that would turn off the alarms. As head cheerleader she was kept constantly up to date with all the forms of access to the school for whatever cheerleading events, practices or general business arose.

Once the alarm was safely deactivated Sam and Quinn followed her in and they made their way through the dark quiet halls as stealthily as possible. Quinn worked her magic on the locked door to the principals office and then with a quick search through his desk, found the key to the filing cabinets that held the permanent records.

"Jackpot." Santana whispered when they found Finn Hudson's file and pulled it out to discover that it was significantly thicker than the others.

Quinn cracked it open and started scanning through the pages.

"What does it say? Have we got any blackmail material?" Sam asked peering over his sister's shoulder at the printed words in front of them.

"Oh we've got just what we need."

* * *

**A/N: A mysterious file filled with secret information, a sister who stormed out of the house in tears and a boy who wants to do nasty rapey things to Rachel. What information does the file contain? What will happen next?**

**Oh and by the way there is a Faberry date on the horizon so get excited!**

**Let me know what you thought...**


	12. Secrets

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Twelve

* * *

**A/N: So lots of Faberry fluff in this chapter because it is a Faberry story after all. Also, and I do think I should put this as a disclaimer for each chapter, I haven't checked any of the law stuff I have put in here.**

**There will be 16 chapters to this story in total the rest of which I have already planned out so we are getting closer to the end now! Hope you enjoy the new chapter...**

* * *

Finn was angry. Finn was actually more than angry, he was fuming and he knew who he was going to take it out on. He wasn't sure entirely what had happened but he knew that Sam and Quinn had pulled one over on him and they were going to pay for it.

They were going to pay that morning before football practice as he planned to take Rachel under the bleachers and make them watch.

That thought was the only thing stopping him from unleashing his anger on an unsuspecting chair or locker.

He sent identical texts to Sam and Rachel to meet him on the bleachers by the football field and knew that Quinn would come as well. He stomped straight out there to meet them and decided to destroy the grass under his feet as he waited fully equipped in his football kit for practice.

The football team and the cheerleaders ended up starting their practices before they turned up and Finn was so busy thinking of ways that he could punish them for making him late to his first practice as Captain that he didn't notice them until they stopped a few feet away.

"Well how lovely to see you all." Finn said insincerely and with a hint of malice as he shot a leer at Rachel for good measure. "We have a great plan set up for this morning starting with Rachel on her knees under these bleachers." Finn smirked, tapping a hand on the metal bar of the bleachers slightly behind him.

"I don't think so Hudson." Quinn stated in a deadly calm tone as she took a step towards the giant of a boy. His smirk faltered for only a second before he took on a condescending tone.

"Whatever Quinn I think..."

"Brody Weston." Quinn interrupted simply and all emotion suddenly dropped from Finn's face as he went pale.

"How do you...what...how?" Finn stuttered as he took a few stumbling steps back.

"It doesn't matter how we know, what does matter is what we are going to do with that information." Quinn spoke slowly and with a maliciousness that made her brother and Rachel feel a little uncomfortable.

Finn's eyes started flitting across the field as if looking for anyone or anything to help him but only found the approaching forms of Santana and Brittany, cheerleading skirts swishing around them.

"What is going to happen is you are going to forget that Sam ever lay a finger on you, you are going to forget about your somewhat criminal demands and you will stay away from me and my family for the rest of your pathetic life. If you don't you will find your dirty laundry being aired around the school and what the hell...even the state. How does that sound Finny boy?" Quinn was positively glowing at this point because she had won. Finn may have had her on the ropes for a little while the previous evening with his little date plan but she had beaten him once and for all.

"If you ever dare to..." Finn's threat trailed off as Quinn's face turned to stone again and she took a step even closer with the rest of the group mimicking her actions to give her support of necessary. Even some of the people on the field were watching the interaction and one football player was hovering closer than the others since a certain blonde cheerleader had joined the group.

"What would you do Finn? You press charges and its Sam's first offence and its a fight that he can at least use partial self defence for. He may not even get a jail sentence but well if people found out about you...Do you think that you would ever be able to show your face in Lima again?"

Quinn took a few steps back so she was stood with everyone else as she delivered the final blow, "Now is the time for you to curse my name." Quinn smirked.

It seemed to have the opposite effect than of putting the final nail in the coffin of Finn's resistance. The line set him off, his face went red and he lunged towards Quinn screaming, "You little bitch!"

Fortunately, Quinn had been in fight club for about three months and had been on the wrestling team learning from an award winning fighter for a little over a week and that was sufficient for her to move swiftly out of the way. Unfortunately Quinn was not aware of who was stood behind her and the idea that they may not have time to move out of the way had no time to cross her mind.

Finn lumbered straight into Brittany, knocking her off her feet and causing her to sprawl out on the grass. Finn sort of rolled over her, crushing her a little but meaning that he found his feet in next to no time. As Coach Beiste and Puck came running over Finn managed to run away but not before shouting, "This isn't the end!" He disappeared into the trees next to the car park that Quinn had hidden in on her first day in Lima just as Puck slid across the grass and came to a stop next to Brittany.

Santana was on her other side and she gave him a confused glance for a second before turning her attention back to the blonde that held her heart.

"Are you OK baby? Where does it hurt?" Santana asked, holding onto her arm. Brittany shared a weird look with Puck for a moment before she even acknowledged Santana but when she did the Latina wished that she hadn't.

"Get away from me Santana, I'm fine!" She practically shouted before she got to her legs with a helping hand from Puck that she quickly shook off before walking in the opposite direction of the car park and disappearing just as Finn had.

"OK folks lets get back to our practices." Coach Beiste demanded, trying to regain control of the situation and Puck, Santana and Sam left, with Sam going to observe and to discuss getting his position back with the Coach.

It left Quinn and Rachel to walk back into the school together as Quinn was currently missing her wrestling practice and Rachel was going to put the auditorium to good use with her free time. As they got out of sight of the auditorium Quinn pulled on Rachel's hand until they were stood in the shade next to the main entrance.

"Hi." Quinn said with a shy smile not realising until then how close she had pulled them together.

"Hi." Rachel responded with just as much shyness but loving the feel of the pink haired girl's body pressed lightly against her.

"I just wanted to ask you if you are OK?" Quinn said linking both of their hands in the middle of them and staring into Rachel's big, brown eyes.

She smiled a sad sort of smile and replied honestly, "I am a lot better now that you have sorted Finn out. My hero." The last two words were whispered as Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck so that it was easier to pull her down to the shorter girl's level.

There lips touched gently and the gentle shouts of the people on the field vanished into nothing as they became absorbed in each other through the simple contact. It was only the third time they had done but still Quinn couldn't get enough of the sensation. She had never felt anything like this when she kissed other girl's, there was just something so incredible about Rachel.

For Rachel's part she was experiencing much the same thing. She had only ever kissed two boys and both was at the same party when she was 13 years old. One had been an incredibly sweet but slightly uncomfortable kiss with Sam in a game of spin the bottle and the other was with Puck in the same game except much less innocent and ten times more uncomfortable.

This kiss was much different and much better especially when Quinn took her bottom lip between her own. She had to fight back a whimper when Quinn started sucking on the trapped lip and instead pulled on the pink hair in her hands. It seemed to bring them both back to reality as they realised where they were and that anyone could walk around the corner and find them.

Quinn stumbled back a few steps and Rachel bit her lip at how sexy Quinn looked with her hair all messed up. It caused Quinn to groan slightly and she rubbed a hand over her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Rach, I didn't mean to pounce on you when its kind of an emotional time." The regret was clear in her eyes and it softened Rachel's heart but she didn't want to see it.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Rachel smiled shyly and Quinn opened her mouth to talk but instead Rachel continued and admitted timidly, "That was an amazing kiss. The best I've ever had."

A big smile broke out over Quinn's face as she also admitted, "That was the best kiss I have ever had as well."

They were silent for a few minutes as they just smiled happily and stared at each other until Rachel broke them out of the romantic bubble they were in by saying, "We need you to get to practice Quinn before Sue kills you." Rachel grabbed Quinn's pale hand and tried to pull her into the school however Quinn pulled Rachel back into her so that they were pressed against each other in earnest.

"I would much rather stay and continue with what we were doing seeing as I am probably already in trouble." Quinn responded as she tucked a strand of brunette hair behind a tanned ear.

Rachel looked torn so eventually Quinn relented because she didn't want to pressure Rachel. "Its OK Rach, we can go in now, we don't have to do anything you don't want to." Quinn said honestly and she dropped a kiss on the shorter girl's forehead.

"My vocal exercise regime is very important Quinn." She stated but with less of the determination in her voice then she usually said it with and she rubbed at the tattoo on Quinn's exposed wrist causing the punky girl to shiver.

"Well I wouldn't want to deprive the world of the amazing talent of Rachel Barbara Berry." Quinn said with a hint of honesty in her voice that made Rachel swoon a little as they started to walk inside.

They stopped just outside the gym doors and Quinn turned to look at Rachel with a serious look as she asked, "Rach, seriously, are you OK after everything that happened?"

Rachel took a moment to analyse her emotions so that she could give an honest reply. After a few moments of staring into the distance she answered, "I think I'm OK Quinn, nothing happened with Finn so I really am alright."

Hazel eyes scoured her checking for honesty and seemingly satisfied she asked with a smile, "Promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

They didn't see Brittany for the rest of the day in school and although Quinn was the only one that noticed, Puck was also mysteriously absent as well. Quinn was getting more and more anxious to find out what was going on between those two but if Brittany didn't want to talk to her then she wasn't sure if there was anything else she could do short of following her sister and she wasn't willing to stoop that low yet.

Brittany was not at home when they got there either which led to more worrying but Quinn soon discovered that she needed to be more worried about herself when Leroy Berry called her into his office.

Even sat down among the seemingly mundane items held in a home office he was still intimidating but she drew courage from the fact that Rachel had pushed her into the room with no worries for her safety. Not that she was scared exactly it was just that Leroy was a big guy and if he had any problems with her being with his daughter she wasn't too keen to go up against him.

"Take a seat Quinn." Leroy said in a soothing tone as he gestured to a comfortable looking chair placed opposite him.

"What is this about Leroy?" Quinn questioned as she let her eyes roam around the room. She had never been in the office before as it was considered Leroy's sacred space and so she wanted to see what kind of man he was from the kind of room he kept.

"I think that for this conversation its best that you call me Mr Berry." Leroy stated in a grave tone and Quinn's attention automatically flew back to the large African American man sat a few feet away from her.

"OK Mr Berry. What can I help you with?" Quinn asked slowly.

"Well we are going to have a conversation about my daughter." Leroy stated simply and Quinn froze in her seat and fought the instinct telling her to run away as fast as she could. Instead she shifted a little and asked, "What about her Mr Berry?" She was being overly polite and decided that it was probably a good thing.

"If you are now dating my daughter then we need to set down some guidelines and I need to tell you that if you ever hurt my baby girl then I will personally come after you and cause you a world of pain." Leroy finished off looking menacing.

"We aren't dating." Quinn blurted out and how shocked she felt about her response was mirrored in Leroy's face.

He quickly composed himself however and added a word onto the end of Quinn's sentence, "Yet."

"Yet?" Quinn was confused.

"You aren't dating yet." Leroy elaborated then asked, "Do you like my daughter in a romantic sense Quinn?"

Quinn nodded and tried to maintain a cool demeanour but was fast failing. Leroy could see this and was smiling a little.

"Do you plan on asking her out?" Leroy probed further.

"Well...you see I...the right time..." Quinn started to mumble out excuses but could find no legitimate reason why she hadn't asked Rachel out on a date yet except for the fact that she was too much of a coward.

"Well Quinn can I give you a little advice?" Another nod so he continued, "Just go for it. She feels the same way so I guarantee if you take the plunge we will be back here setting down some guidelines for you two dating very soon." He gave a reassuring smile though the idea of coming up with rules didn't sound very fun, the idea of having Rachel sat next to her as her girlfriend sounded pretty amazing so she smiled back.

"Now go get your girl!" Leroy demanded as he practically pushed her out of the door.

"Yes Sir." Quinn beamed backed, psyching herself up for what she was about to do.

"Quinn you can start calling me Leroy again."

* * *

A single wooden door never seemed like such a large barrier before. She supposed that it was when your dream girl was on the other side of the door and the potential for failure was in the air that it gets harder to enter a room.

Summoning her courage she knocked on the door and a heavenly voice beckoned her in. Rachel was sat at her desk doing some homework and she looked up with a smile when she saw it was Quinn.

"Well hello Quinn, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Rachel said putting her pen down.

"Hey Rach, I wanted to talk to you." Quinn said as she started shifting nervously in front of the brunette. "So I was wondering what you are doing tonight?" Quinn asked.

"Oh well later this evening I am going to the Lima Community Theatre with Kurt to watch a play in which his new boyfriend has acquired a minor role." Rachel said excitedly.

Quinn gulped at being dismissed so easily and rubbed the back of her neck in an attempt to look like it didn't bother her. "Oh yeah that's cool, I'll just...I'll just leave then..." Quinn trailed off and started to walk out.

"Quinn wait!" Rachel called and the pink haired girl span around with hope in her eyes. "Were you trying to ask me out?" Rachel asked with a small amused smile.

"If I was would you have said yes?" Quinn responded with a question and almost cringed at the lameness of her words. She was never this nervous around girls usually.

"Ask me and find out Fabray." Rachel challenged as she took a few steps over to Quinn and cocked her head, waiting.

"Rachel, would you like to go out on a date with me tonight?" Quinn asked slowly and let out a sigh of relief when she got it all out without sounding like an idiot.

"I would love to." Rachel replied and threw her arms around Quinn's neck. "You know its about time Fabray." Rachel whispered in her ear.

"We've only known each other for a little over a week." Quinn stated truthfully.

"Details." Rachel dismissed the fact as she pulled away. "By the way I think I should still go to the theatre tonight because I promised Kurt I would go however I think you should come with me and we should label it a date."

"I don't know Rach I really want our first date to be special." Quinn admitted and Rachel cooed at her making her blush a little.

"Its the person that you're with, not where you go that's important Quinn and the theatre _is_ a special place in my opinion." Rachel explained as she bustled around picking articles of clothing out of different drawers. "Plus," She added with a smile, "Kurt and Mercedes will be sat together and we can pick up some seats away from them so that we can be alone."

Quinn couldn't help but grin back at the prospect of spending that much alone time with Rachel even if they wouldn't really be able to talk. She may even be able to get a little kissing action.

"OK so are you getting ready?" Quinn asked although it was kind of a stupid question because she clearly was.

"Of course Quinn we have to be at the theatre in two hours." Rachel said as she laid three sets of clothes on the bed and started judging them.

"OK well I'll leave you to it and I'll see you in a little while." Quinn said as she once again made for the door.

"Oh and Quinn there is a few things you should know." Rachel started and Quinn raised an eyebrow, signalling that she was listening. "I expect you to to knock on my front door, make uncomfortable small talk with my Dads and then take me out for dinner afterwards." Rachel said with all seriousness.

"Demanding." Quinn chuckled.

"You know you like it."

Quinn had no response to that.

* * *

Lima Community Theatre was a very small building with a rickety stage and with shabbily dressed workers. There was hardly anyone there when they arrived and Quinn had no problem in buying her and Rachel two tickets away from their friends. Rachel hadn't said she expected Quinn to pay for them but Quinn wanted to at least impress the brunette due to her own actions a little bit.

Quinn hadn't been there when Rachel had explained the situation to Kurt and Mercedes however they seemed fine with the slight change in arrangements and were bubbling with excitement for them. They left almost immediately after the pink haired girl came back with a few winks to Rachel who blushed at her friends' antics.

"I got us tickets at the back but I am told that there are only twenty rows so that isn't really going to impede our view of the show in any way." Quinn said as she and Rachel started walking towards the small and dirty looking concession stand and Quinn made a mental note not to buy any cooked food from there.

She was unsure as to whether this really was an adequate place for her to have brought Rachel to for a first date but one look at the bright eyes of the brunette when she caught a glimpse of the stage and Quinn knew that it was the best place to have come in Rachel's opinion.

They were silent for a while as they waited in line for the concession stand and Quinn feared that things would get awkward between them and she really didn't want that to happen. All tension disappeared however as they got to the front and Rachel offered, "Seeing as you bought the tickets Fabray its only fair that I should get the snacks. Chose anything you want."

Her arm swung dramatically as she finished talking to point to the less than appetising snacks.

"Well its a difficult decision to make Berry." Quinn hummed as she scratched her chin in fake deliberation. "You see I could get the hot dog that is older than I am or I could get the stale nachos with a fresh topping of dust. Its just too difficult a decision." Quinn threw her hands up to add to her performance and let them flop down to show her inability to decide.

Rachel laughed but then spotted some people behind them in the line looking a little annoyed by how long they were taking and she didn't want to ruin their first date by getting into an argument. She squinted as she looked at the options and then quickly said, "Two waters please."

The young boy rang up the purchase and asked, "Anything else?"

"Definitely not." Rachel responded as she paid and they went to find their seats, both laughing at their own pre-show performance.

They made their way into the darkened theatre and Quinn took Rachel's hand as the smaller girl led them to their seats after glancing at their tickets. Another example of how run down and underfunded the theatre was that they had to find their seats on their own. It was also a testament to how often Rachel came here that she knew exactly where the seats were from the brief information on the ticket.

"You are amazing Rachel." Quinn admitted once they had taken their seats and Rachel shot her a confused look at the randomness of her statement.

"What was that for?" Rachel asked.

"I was just overwhelmed by how awesome you were for a moment and I felt the need to tell you." Quinn replied simply and squeezed Rachel's hand a little tighter.

"Thank you." Rachel murmured as she leaned in and placed a light kiss on Quinn's lips then when she pulled away she whispered, "You are pretty amazing as well."

Before Quinn could respond the lights completely went out and the show started. It was a production of west side story and apparently Kurt's boyfriend, who Quinn still hadn't caught the name of despite how much Rachel and Kurt talked about him, was playing a random guy in Tony's old gang.

Quinn was going to ask which one he was but as she looked over to Rachel to ask the question she noticed that the girl was mouthing along the lines as the actors on stage were saying them. She decided that she didn't want to interrupt Rachel because what she was doing was just far too cute and so she spent the rest of the first half just watching Rachel watch the show.

When the lights came back up she blinked in surprise as Rachel was the first to stand up and lead the room of about 100 people into applause. It wasn't much but it made some of the still visible actors smile.

"Wasn't that just amazing?" Rachel asked, gushing over the performance.

"Yeah the best thing I have ever seen." Quinn replied, referring to Rachel as she hadn't really been paying much attention to the show. "Which one was Kurt's boyfriend?" Quinn asked and Rachel finally tore her eyes away from the stage to look at Quinn.

"I have only seen pictures of him, I've never met him but it didn't look like he was on stage and trust me I was watching that stage like a hawk." Rachel admitted and then she started waving to Kurt and Mercedes who had come to say hello during the intermission.

"I know what you are all thinking..." Kurt started as he stopped dramatically in front of them, holding his hands in the air and Mercedes rolled her eyes behind him. "Why was my new Beau not tearing up the stage and the tragic answer is that he has been taken down with the flu and was unable to sing just before the show so he had to back out." Kurt explained with a pout and Rachel automatically tried to comfort him.

"It'll be OK Kurt, I am sure he will get better and we can all meet some other time." Rachel promised and the boy seemed slightly appeased.

"So how is the date going?" Mercedes asked in a sing song voice.

"Yeah no back row fondling I hope." Kurt wriggled his eyebrows suggestively and Rachel blushed.

"I wish." Quinn thought however when Kurt and Mercedes smirked at her and Rachel blushed harder she realised that she had in fact said it out loud. "Oops." Quinn said and Mercedes laughed at her.

"Its OK girl. We will get out of here so you can get your fondling on." Mercedes said to the pink haired girl as she pulled Kurt away from the couple with a wave goodbye.

Rachel stayed silent until the lights dimmed and the show started again and Quinn really hoped that she hadn't pushed it too far and was about to say something when she felt a delicate finger trace a path up her arm.

It caused her to shiver as her head whipped around to look at Rachel as the brunette smirked and carried on her path. "Rach?" Quinn questioned in a whisper but Rachel ignored her and when her finger ran out of arm she let the digit trace across Quinn's collarbone and back again.

"What are you doing Rach." Quinn struggled to get out due to the surprisingly intimate touch.

"Is this not the kind of touching you were wanting." Rachel whispered sensually into her ear and Quinn gulped.

"I believe the word used was fondling." Quinn corrected daringly and could see Rachel's cocked eyebrow even in the darkness.

Rachel didn't respond but merely starting tracing her finger across from her arm to her taut stomach which quivered with her touch. She let her finger trail slowly down until it was resting next to Quinn's belt and then whispered, "Not on the first date Fabray."

After that she pulled away and leaned forward to absorb herself once again in the performance and Quinn tried desperately to catch her breathe. If she had doubted before that Rachel Berry was special she was not doubting it any more because with only a simple touch she was a quivering mess.

The show sped by after that and Rachel acted as if nothing had happened when the show ended and she took Quinn by the hand and led her outside. They caught up with Kurt and Mercedes again and said their goodbyes and then Quinn drove them to a restaurant that Leroy had recommended to Quinn. He had been surprisingly helpful seeing as she was asking him about the best place to take his daughter on a date but she just assumed he had liked making sure that she was being taken to somewhere nice and safe.

"You are just full of surprises aren't you Quinnie." Rachel stated as they pulled up outside of her favourite vegan restaurant. Quinn was shocked by the change of nickname, especially because Rachel said it in such a husky voice but she definitely liked it better than being called Fabray.

"Only for you." Quinn responded sweetly as she led the way into the restaurant.

They were seated immediately and Quinn let Rachel pick out her meal mainly because they only served vegan food and Quinn had no idea what tasted good. Once the waitress bustled away to sort out their order Rachel leaned forward, rested her head in her hands and asked, "Tell me something about you Quinn?"

Quinn leaned back in her chair as she scoured her brain for any way for this to not turn into an awkward conversation. She came up with something she deemed innocent enough, "I took the bus all the way to Toledo when I was ten because someone told me that was where they held Comic-Con." Quinn admitted and Rachel burst out laughing.

"What did you do when you realised it wasn't being held there?" Rachel asked trying to contain a few chuckles that threatened to escape.

"I phoned my Dad and he came and picked me up and then took me to San Francisco a few months later when and where the convention was actually being held." Quinn smiled at the fond memory of how amazing that trip had been.

There was one detail she had left out of her story to Rachel and that was that she had gone to Toledo with Dave and that was because she hadn't wanted to talk about him. It was still too painful a topic.

Even as a ten year old though Dave had been big and so she was glad she had taken him with her for protection and for companionship on the way to Toledo. Russell had even taken Dave with them when they went to the real Comic-Con and they had all had an amazing time. Russell bought them each one thing they had wanted and more importantly she had gotten to get away from her drunken Mother for a few days.

"It sounds like a really special memory." Rachel said quietly as if she didn't want to break Quinn out of the trance the girl had fallen in. It was very rare to see her face light up that way, Rachel had only seen it happen a few times and she wanted to treasure the moment because Quinn looked so beautiful when she was happy like that.

"It was." Quinn agreed as the waitress came back with two plates and they thanked her and started eating. "What about you Rach? Tell me something I don't know about you." Quinn demanded.

"Forceful, I like it." Rachel flirted with a wink and Quinn couldn't believe that it was the same girl who had been blushing earlier over one comment from her gay friend.

"Well there was one time when I was 6 and my Dads took me to a Broadway show. At the signing afterwards when they walk outside I slipped past the bodyguard and I actually managed to hug Idina Menzel." Rachel boasted very proud at the feat she had accomplished at a pretty young age.

"That is kind of bad-ass for a six year old Rach. Well done!" Quinn congratulated and if possible Rachel looked even prouder.

They carried on swapping stories until they finished their meal and kept going through their shared dessert as well. By the time they got home it was about twenty minutes before Rachel's midnight curfew so they walked slowly upstairs and stopped outside of Rachel's bedroom door.

"Thank you for a lovely evening Quinn."Rachel whispered in an attempt not to wake her fathers who were presumably asleep in their bedroom a few doors down. She also didn't want to wake Brittany in her room or Sam in his but she thought that it was far less likely for them to be asleep at this time.

"It was my pleasure." Quinn responded honestly.

A silence descended over them and they both started inching closer for that cliché kiss on the doorstep after the first date. When there lips met neither one wanted to break apart ever again but eventually they had to pull away.

"Goodnight Quinn." Rachel whispered before disappearing into her bedroom leaving Quinn in the darkness of the hallway, staring at Rachel's door for the second time that day.

When Sam came out of his room in only his boxers and headed for the bathroom without closing the door behind him, Quinn decided it was for the best if she went back downstairs. She sat on the sofa she was now calling her bed and let her mind wander to the amazing evening she had just had.

Every new thing that she had learnt about Rachel had just made her like the girl more. It was a dream that she was getting to date Rachel however it was currently interrupted by a nightmare as his phone started to ring.

Quinn grabbed it out of her pocket, noticed it was an unrecognised number but decided to answer it anyway.

"Hello."

"_Quinn, its me Santana. I need your help."_ The Latina's voice came down the line.

"What's wrong?" Quinn asked with worry, already slipping her boots back on so she could go where ever the girl needed her to be.

"_I'm at the Police station and I need you to come down here and post bail for me."_

* * *

Lima Police station had everything you would expect of any given Police station past midnight including an array of loud and vomit covered drunks mumbling away to themselves and a couple of bedraggled hookers covered in dodgy looking stains and swearing. It was fairly quiet though and Santana was easily noticeable as she was the one making the most noise.

She was shouting at an harassed looking young police officer whose shirt looked far to big for him and was nervously glancing around for someone to help him.

"Excuse me officer?" Quinn called to the man over the empty front desk and he turned around with relief on his face for being able to escape the current argument he was having with the Latina girl.

"How can I help you Miss?" The man asked politely as he took a seat at the desk. Lima Police department was clearly understaffed and he was doing the job of two or three officers tonight.

"I am here to post bail for Santana Lopez." Quinn replied calmly.

"Ah, I'm sorry Miss but that's not possible." The officer truly looked sorry about that fact, probably because he wanted Santana out of that cell and away from him as much as she did.

That was why she kept her calm tone as she asked, "Why is that?"

"The Officer that brought her in just said that it was a lover's spat and that she just needed a night in the cells to cool off. She will be allowed out in the morning and she will have no charges made against her, just a warning." The man explained and to Quinn it seemed perfectly reasonable especially because Santana would probably only have to wait less than 6 hours now.

Quinn just wanted to know what happened between Santana and Brittany so she asked, "Do you think it would be possible for me to have a word with her?"

The man nodded his head rapidly, seeming eager to please her as he led her over to the cells placed a few metres behind the desk. Santana was sat on the bed in her cell with her elbows resting on her knees and her face buried in her hands.

"San, what happened?" Quinn asked as soon as the officer had walked far enough away so that they would not be overheard.

Santana groaned and didn't look up as she slowly explained, "I went to your house, stood underneath Britt's window and played this romantic song on a CD player. She came to the window and told me to go away but I told her I wouldn't give up. Ten minutes later the cops showed up."

Santana looked up at her with eyes that were pleading with Quinn to explain to her what was happening, to explain how things had gotten so messed up. "She called the freaking cops on me Quinn! Told them that I was a stalker!" The girl looked so lost and Quinn contemplated asking Officer eager-to-please to open the cell so that she could comfort Santana but she knew that he wouldn't let that happen.

Quinn gripped on the bars in an effort to get closer to her broken friend as she said, "Look San, its going to be OK. They will let you out in the morning with just a warning and then we can sort this whole mess out. What she did was out of line."

The Officer coughed pointedly telling her that she shouldn't be there much longer so Quinn tried to wrap it up and Santana murmured, seemingly to herself, "I just wanted to get her back."

"I know San and you will." Quinn stated confidently in response.

"I'll see you tomorrow Quinn." Santana said quietly and turned to lie on her hard bunk, turning her back to Quinn.

Quinn slowly walked out, past the Police Officer who blushed when she thanked him for his help and without a clue of how to fix this.

* * *

The next morning Brittany was gone before Quinn even woke up which was quite incredible because with Quinn sleeping on the sofa she had a clear view of the front door and so it would be hard to sneak past her.

As Quinn, Rachel and Sam drove to school, Quinn filled the others in on what had happened to Santana and they were both equally appalled. The car ride was silent after that as they all became lost in their own thoughts and Quinn parted ways with a gentle pat on the shoulder for Sam and a lingering hug for Rachel.

"Hey are you OK Quinn?" Mike asked as he sat down on the bleachers next to her in the gym. The two wrestling Coaches had brought them together for the first half of their practices and they were two of the first to get changed and were now waiting for Sue and Ken to turn up.

"Yeah, I'm fine just got a lot on my mind." Quinn said, giving him a reassuring smile that he didn't seem to buy.

"You know you can talk to me if you need to." Mike told her and she patted his knee to show how grateful she was for the offer.

When the Coaches finally came into the gym a few minutes later an expectant hush fell over the group of teenagers and there was a palpable excitement in the air.

"I expect that you losers know why you are being gathered here today and that is to talk about our Sectionals competition that is being held a month from now. We wanted to have this talk with both teams together so that everyone is very clear on the rules and so that you are aware of a few little changes to routine this year." Sue's booming voice echoed across the gym.

"OK so the competition is being held the same as always in Westerville and we will be getting there Friday night for the competitions at varying times on Saturday and then we will be leaving Sunday morning." Coach Tanaka spoke up for the first time since he had walked in.

The two coaches then went on to cover the rules the students were expected to follow and apparently not for the first time if the eye rolls from her team mates was anything to go by. Excited whispers were starting to sound across the room as Sue broached the last point before sending them off to their respective practices.

"Finally there will be something different this year in that the Sectionals competition for the football team is being held at the same time in the same place except for they are obviously outside whilst we are inside. This means that we will likely be sharing a school bus to and from Westerville with the football team and the cheerleaders, there maybe two buses buses but Figgins is cheap so its more likely that we will all be made to squash on together." Sue explained to a now dead silent room. "Well you will squash, I will be driving my vintage Le Car to Westerville." Sue added on almost thoughtfully.

It was at that point that Zizes decided to stand up and voice her disapproval as Captain. "Coach you can't make us share with those Neanderthals and their airhead girlfriends." Quinn was about to voice her disapproval at her Captain's words because she was talking about her brother, her sister and her friend but Sue cut over any of her protests.

"Can it Zizes, this is the way that it is so just accept it and move on." Sue commanded and Lauren sank hesitantly back down onto the bench before the Coach continued, "We will talk about it more at the time but for now, get back to practice. We have a competition to prepare for."

* * *

Quinn spent most of the day trying to think of the best way to approach the problem with Brittany. When she saw Santana pointedly change the direction she was walking down a hallway when she spotted the pink haired girl it made Quinn realise that Santana was trying to avoid her and it strengthened her resolve to do something about the Brittany situation. She just seriously didn't know what.

At the start of lunch she was on her way to her locker when she saw Rachel standing at hers. Deciding to be daring especially after they had gone on a date the previous evening Quinn started to walk over. When she got close enough she put her hands on Rachel's hips, pressed lightly against her back and whispered in her ear, "If I said I thought you had a nice body would you hold it against me?"

Rachel outright snorted at her cheesy pick up line and managed to spin around to face the pink haired girl without displacing Quinn's hands. "Is that the best you've got Quinnie?" Rachel husked as she moved forward to invade Quinn's personal space more fully, not that either minded.

"Get a room!" Sam fake heckled as he walked past and opened his locker which was a couple down from Rachel's.

"We used to use your room when you were at football practice but now you are a cripple we have to go at it in the school hallways." Quinn lied to tease the boy and his face scrunched up in disgust at the image.

"Ew, please tell me that's not true." Sam begged as he slid a few books into his locker then slammed the metal door closed. The lockers at McKinley were so old that you had to really slam them to make sure that the catch caught and even then they sometimes randomly sprang open of their own accord.

"Its not true Sam so you don't have to worry." Rachel reassured him as she finished her business in her locker and then mimicked her best friend's actions.

"I wish I could believe you Rach." Sam lamented as he carried on walking down the hall with a quick wave goodbye as he had a meeting with his football Coach.

Quinn watched him walk off and wondered what he thought about Brittany's behaviour as they hadn't had a chance to talk about it yet.

"What are you thinking about?" Rachel asked with concern as she watched Quinn's attention drift.

Quinn heaved a sigh and answered, "Brittany."

"I'm worried about her as well...she won't talk to anyone, she got Santana arrested and she just generally seems angry. That is just so not Britt." Rachel said as they slowly started walking down the halls.

"Maybe I should follow her!" Quinn suggested rather loudly and a few people close to them gave her a weird look.

Rachel shot reassuring smiles to the few students looking on with worry as she whispered to Quinn, "Quinn when you shout out things like that, people feel inclined to call the Police."

"I'm going to do it Rach, I'm going to follow her tonight after school to see if I can find out what's wrong because you are right when you say that she just won't talk about it." Quinn stated as she started to get more excited about her plan.

"Quinn, are you sure about this...its a little intrusive." Rachel said with apprehension as forced Quinn to look down at her by resting a hand on her arm.

"I have to do this Rachel. She's my sister and I need to protect her from whatever is going on."

* * *

She hoped she was wrong. More than anything she hoped she was wrong. When Quinn had seen Brittany and Puck hop into Puck's truck after school she knew she was going to find out what the problem was but she just honestly didn't expect it to be this.

They had pulled up outside of a Gynaecologist's office.

It was an hour before they walked out again with Brittany placing a protective hand over her stomach and Puck shooting her anxious glances. She had been sat in her car for an hour trying to digest what was happening but she still had no idea how to go over and confront Brittany.

Without a conscious decision she found herself jumping out of Hiram's Prius and walking over to the not so happy couple.

"Brittany?" Quinn had opened her mouth but it was not her who had called for her sister's attention. Quinn, Brittany and Puck all swung around to face the source of the noise and found themselves face to face with Santana.

The brunette's face was as hard and blank as stone but her eyes held a mixture of burning fury and devastating pain.

"Santana!" Brittany responded in surprise as guilt washed across her face as she realised that she had been caught.

"Tell me the truth." Santana demanded calmly but with a hint of something dangerous under her voice.

"Santana please..." It was obvious that a number of lies were on the tip of the blondes tongue but Santana cut them off before they had a chance to be let out.

"No damn it, tell me the truth once and for all." Santana shouted but didn't close the distance between herself and her girlfriend. Her self control was wearing thin and Quinn noticed it and took a step closer to intercept if necessary.

The action caused Brittany to notice her for the first time but other than a small gasp, didn't acknowledge her, she just focused on Santana as she breathed out,

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

**A/N: There you have it! The reason why Brittany has been acting so strange and it is not a problem that can be fixed as easily as the problem with Finn was.**

**Tell me what you think!**


	13. Family Matters

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, here's the new chapter. I hope you enjoy it...**

* * *

"_No damn it, tell me the truth once and for all." Santana shouted but didn't close the distance between herself and her girlfriend. Her self control was wearing thin and Quinn noticed it and took a step closer to intercept if necessary._

_The action caused Brittany to notice her for the first time but other than a small gasp, didn't acknowledge her, she just focused on Santana as she breathed out,_

"_I'm pregnant." _

Santana froze and her face became blank of any emotion. After a few seconds of staring only at Brittany, she just turned and walked silently away.

As Santana disappeared from sight, Brittany called out to her again and again but it was no use so instead the blonde girl spun around to look at Quinn, pleading with her eyes for Quinn not to be mad. Quinn just didn't know how to feel. Her little sister was pregnant with Puck's baby and she was going to lose so much because of it. At the very least it was 9 months of her teenage life that she would never get back and if she aborted the baby or gave it up, it would be the kind of thing that would scar her body and mind.

Quinn was overwhelmed and she really wasn't sure how to react or what to do so rather than react badly and cause Brittany and the baby unnecessary stress, she decided it was best to follow Santana's example and walk away.

She really tried not to look back as she drove away but she couldn't stop herself from taking one quick glance and regretted it immediately. Brittany was crying onto Puck's shoulder and Quinn felt her heart break a little.

The image of Santana brokenly walking away haunted her and so she decided to spend some time driving around and searching for the Latina. It would also give her some time to think things through before she really had to confront Brittany.

The streets of Lima weren't that busy and so Santana would have been easy to spot but after an hour it was clear to Quinn that the brunette hadn't decided to just walk around. With that thought in mind she looked for Santana at the school, random bars and, even though it was unlikely due to the situation with her parents, at Santana's house. She even got out to check but Santana's mother hadn't seen the girl since she went to school that morning.

After she thanked Mrs Lopez for her help she got back in the car and let her head rest against the steering wheel as she tried to figure out her next move. She was feeling really lost and she wasn't sure what to do. What she really needed was some advice from someone she felt comfortable being vulnerable around.

Her mind made itself up and she sent a text to Rachel telling her she would be home late and not to worry and to tell Hiram she would take care of his car before starting the two hour drive to Cleveland.

Though she was given ample time and plenty of empty road to think she had still not arranged her thoughts by the time she drove past the city limits and she had yet to decide if she was going to visit her Dad or Tony.

Making a spur of the moment decision she instead drove towards Englewood Cemetery to see her best friend for the first time since his funeral.

Once she parked up she walked slowly through the silent grounds, taking in the sight of the odd person solemnly staring at pieces of marble or granite as they tried not to burst into tears. The weather was pleasant with only a small nip in the air but plenty of sunshine.

As soon as she spotted the grave marker declaring that 'David Alan Karofsky' laid in that spot she froze and mimicked the other cemetery visitors as she heartily tried not to cry.

Eventually she found her courage and came to stand at the edge of the dug up earth. A few blades of grass had started peeking over the dirt but it didn't yet look like the surrounding grass area and so the boundaries of the grave were very clear. Taking a few moments she took a seat on the soft, dry grass and faced the grave marker.

"Hi Dave." Quinn whispered after what felt like hours of silence. She almost expected a familiar, deep voice to reply with a laugh and tell her that she was being stupid for being so hesitant because it was only him.

When, as expected, no reply was forthcoming she carried on, "I guess I wanted to come talk to you because you are always the one I would come to when I needed help and I figure why should that change now that you are..." Quinn trailed off, not being able to say the word and changed tact.

"So I moved away, I'm living with Sam and Brittany now like I hoped I would be able to do someday." She took a deep breath and glanced around to make sure there was nobody around listening to her one sided conversation before continuing, "But you see there have been some problems. This guy Finn tried to steal my brother's place on the football team and tried to sexually abuse my sort of girlfriend and then today..."

"And today I found out my sister is pregnant." Quinn dropped back so she was led on the grass, looking up into the sky and she kind of felt that she was talking to Dave more that way.

"I'm worried Dave. I'm worried that we haven't seen the last of Finn, I'm worried that I won't be able to protect my family and more than anything I am worried that I have already failed Brittany."

The clouds passed over the sun for a moment casting a shadow on Quinn's face and causing her mood to sour in bitterness at her worries. It was only for a moment though and then the sun seemed to come back even brighter as the cloud passed.

Quinn pushed herself up to her elbows as she realised the possible significance of what had happened in the sky. A cloud may come and spoil things but the sun always shines through in the end and it is so much better when it shines through after a dark patch.

"I don't know if that had anything to do with you Dave but thank you." Quinn whispered to the sky before getting up and brushing herself off.

"I love you Dave." Quinn muttered to the grave marker before turning to walk back to her car. She may have not got any solid answers from her trip or any tips on practical things to do but she had rationalised everything out in her head and the trip had taught her one thing.

That they would get through this.

* * *

Almost the second she walked through the door she was descended upon by an anxious looking Hiram and Rachel Berry.

"How is my baby?" Hiram asked shrilly.

"Where were you?" Rachel asked at the same time and Quinn looked strangely at Hiram for calling her his baby.

"Did you scratch by baby?" Understanding flooded Quinn's face, then her mind went to a dirty joke she could say in response to that question but she decided against it because Rachel's father probably wouldn't appreciate her making a joke about having sex with his daughter. Even though it wasn't happening yet.

Instead she tossed him the keys and simply replied, "She's fine."

"I'm glad to hear that _he_ is OK." He corrected as he scurried outside to check that she wasn't lying.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray, do not ignore me!" Rachel demanded with a pout, folding her arms across her chest and pushing her breasts up in the process.

Quinn tried to tear her eyes away as she put as much charm into her reply as possible. "How could I possibly ignore someone as gorgeous as you?" She moved forward and cupped Rachel's cheeks in her hands as she said her words with real sincerity.

"Don't think that you can charm you way out of this." Rachel scolded but it was lacking her earlier frustration, "Where were you?" She asked again.

"I went home for a little bit." Quinn answered without making eye contact. Rachel was silent for a while as she clearly didn't know what to say. If she had been less absorbed with thoughts of Cleveland, Quinn probably would have said something about making Rachel 'Ranting' Berry speechless but she didn't.

"What did you...Did you see...How was it?" Rachel finally managed to ask.

"I have some things that I want to tell you about myself but now is not the time for it. I need to talk to Brittany." Quinn said glancing towards the stairs and starting to pull away from Rachel.

"Quinn? What happened?" Rachel asked.

"You'll find out soon Rach." Quinn responded cryptically before she made her way to the bedroom her sister shared with Rachel.

She had to stop before going in to collect herself but after a few deep breathes she drew up the bravery to knock the door. Brittany's unusually lifeless voice called her in and Quinn found her sister stood at the open balcony doors looking out into the night.

"We need to talk." Quinn whispered quietly into the room, not really wanting to disturb the peace that the quiet brought to them.

"I know." Brittany replied without turning around and when it became apparent that Brittany wasn't planning on looking at her just yet Quinn decided to carry on.

The pink haired girl dropped down onto Rachel's desk chair and turned to face her sister's back as she ran a hand through her hair. "I want you to know that no matter what happens...I'm here for you Brittany."

The blonde girl span around suddenly and scanned Quinn's face to see if she was telling the truth. The hope shining in her eyes at the possibility of her older sister's support made Quinn's heart swell and in that moment she realised that she had made the right decision.

"Really?" Brittany asked in a small voice.

"I'm not abandoning you again...I won't make the same mistake twice." Quinn replied and Brittany flung herself into the punk's waiting arms. Quinn held the blonde against her chest as she cried and whispered comforting words to her that she honestly believed.

"Its going to be OK Britt, we will get through this together, I will always be here for you. You don't have to rely on Puck any more." Quinn promised as she rubbed up and down Brittany's back.

At the mention of Puck, Brittany's tears got worse and Quinn instantly regretted it. "Do you want to talk about it Britt?" Quinn asked and let the blonde pull back and wipe at her face.

It was kind of ridiculous due to the fact that Brittany was quite a bit taller than Quinn but Quinn still pulled her little sister into her lap in an attempt to make the younger girl feel safe.

"Every time I look at Puck I hate myself so much for trusting him." Brittany admitted, letting a few more tears drip out.

"What do you mean?" Quinn froze at the possible implications of Brittany's words.

"We were at a party together and he told me that I could drink if I wanted to and he would keep me safe and make sure nothing would happen to me." Brittany explained and Quinn fought to keep her voice controlled as she responded.

"Brittany...did he..did he force you?" The question was strangely emotionless as Quinn fought to reign in a white hot fury that was threatening to explode from her at any moment. She was glad that Brittany was currently stopping her from getting up and beating the crap out of Noah Puckerman without waiting for Brittany to explain further.

"I don't know." Brittany whispered into Quinn's chest, "I don't remember much from that night other than waking up naked with him and then running home."

Quinn understood that she and probably Sam needed to have a conversation with Puck but what was more important at the moment was comforting Brittany and so she decided that castrating Puck could wait a couple of hours.

Quinn dropped a kiss on the top of blonde locks and asked gently, "What about Santana? Why did you treat her the way you did?"

The blonde was up and out of her arms before she had a chance to register the change. Brittany walked out onto the balcony and Quinn quickly followed when the sound of her sobs was blown back into the room on the soft breeze.

"Every time I looked at her I remembered what I had done and it made me so angry. I shouldn't have taken it out on her but she was just so perfect to me and I was so ashamed that I had messed up so badly. I didn't know how to handle it." Brittany stated as she let yet more tears fall but this time invisibly in the darkness of the night.

Quinn wasn't sure what to say in response that wouldn't be scolding and as she knew that telling her what she had done wrong wouldn't help, she instead squeezed Brittany's shoulder and declared, "She loves you."

"Probably not any more." Brittany lamented and Quinn had no answer because for all she knew it was the truth.

"How about you get some rest, all this drama can't be good for the baby. We can talk about this some more tomorrow and we can tell the others so that we can make some plans." Quinn suggested, taking Brittany's hand before the blonde had time to respond.

Brittany was already dressed in her bed clothes and so she let herself be led to the bed she shared with Rachel and led down straight away.

"Will you hold me Lucy?" Brittany pleaded in such a vulnerable voice that Quinn was powerless to resist. She lay down next to Brittany and her little sister lay her head against the pink haired girl's chest once again and settled, after a while, into a fitful sleep.

About an hour later, when all movement from Brittany had ceased and her breathing was even Quinn tried to move from her position however she found that the more she tried to move away, the tighter Brittany held on.

The solution came ten minutes later in the tiny form of Rachel, who crept into the bedroom and stopped when she took in the scene before her with evident worry.

Quinn managed to detach a hand to signal Rachel over and the small brunette obliged.

"Get changed and come to bed so that Brittany can hold onto you and you can get to sleep." Quinn instructed in a voice quieter than a whisper and Rachel nodded then walked into her en suite bathroom to get changed. A few minutes later, she was back and they managed to get Rachel into Brittany's arms and Quinn out.

Before she left, Quinn took a quick moment to take a good look at her sister whilst her defences were down. She looked peaceful and childlike but there were frown lines etched onto her forehead that let Quinn know that even in her sleep Brittany was troubled. It worried her and she smoothed a stray blonde lock behind Brittany's ear and placed a soft kiss on the frown lines before turning to Rachel.

"Look after her Rach?" Quinn asked of Rachel and the small brunette whispered, "Of course." Quinn smiled lightly then dropped a kiss on Rachel's forehead and left the room.

A few seconds she stood in the hallway but that was all it took to finalise her decision.

The floorboards creaked ominously under her feet as she walked to her brother's door and woke him up with a quick rap on his door. He tumbled out of his room with bleary eyes and only wearing a pair of blue boxer shorts.

"Get dressed Sam we have something important to do." Quinn commanded mysteriously.

"What's going on?" Sam asked looking slightly more awake due to the urgency in his sister's tone.

"Brittany's pregnant and Puck's the father. She doesn't know if he forced her and we are going to go, find out the truth and deal with the little dick." Quinn explained and Sam's face turned to stone as he got dressed silently.

"Lets do this."

* * *

The Puckerman household was dark and quiet but really nothing else would be expected that late at night. Very little had been said on the journey across town except for Sam giving the occasional directions to Quinn as she drove.

When they pulled to a stop outside they both sat for a moment and looked at each other.

"So what do we do if he forced her? I mean we can't exactly have him arrested because the...b-baby will need its...will need Puck." Sam struggled to get most of his words out, he had especially stumbled over the word baby but he managed to get out all his thoughts.

"We won't be involving the Police. We can dispense our own brand of justice but be honest do you really want him around Brittany if he did force her?" Quinn inquired and Sam looked confused so she left him to his thoughts for a few moments as she looked at the silent house they were parked next to.

"I don't think he did force her." Sam muttered and Quinn spun her head around to face him with incredulous eyes. "Its just that he has been hanging all over her, he was worried about her the other day on the football field and I think he cares about her and the baby."

"So what? Are you just going to shake his hand? Say congratulations, we don't care that you impregnated our sister when she was drunk. Here's a cigar!" Quinn started to shout sarcastically but Sam remained calm.

"No Quinn I won't say that but what good will beating him up do? I won't make the same mistake with him as I made with Finn. What's done is done and now we just have to make sure that he is here for his baby and for Brittany." Sam replied logically and the wind was promptly taken from Quinn's sails.

She sunk back against her seat and let her head bang lightly off the head rest. "OK but we need to put the fear of God in him. Make sure he is too afraid to even consider leaving her." Quinn negotiated.

"I don't think she would want him to stay in those kind of circumstances. All we should do is ask him if he wants to be involved and then tomorrow we can make our plans accordingly." Sam suggested.

"When did you start acting like the older sibling?" Quinn asked with a small, tired smile.

"Everyone needs someone to talk sense to them every once in a while. It turns out that I can only be that person when working on very little sleep." Sam said with a wry chuckle and Quinn ruffled his hair before getting out of the car.

"Hey, at least you've had some sleep, I haven't gotten any yet." Quinn complained quietly as they walked up to the house.

They stopped on the front porch as they realised that everyone in the house was asleep and they didn't want to wake up the other occupants in their attempts to talk to Puck. For a while they stood where they were, quietly arguing until the curtains in one of the upstairs windows flicked open a little and someone started to walk downstairs.

Puck opened the front door and stood in the darkness provided by house rather then coming out into the light cast by the nearby street lamp.

"If you are here to beat the crap out of me you're too late." Puck lisped and Quinn and Sam looked at each other in confusion at the difference in Puck's voice.

He heaved a sigh then moved forward into the light to display his mangled face including an incredibly swollen, split lip that was causing him to lisp, a shiner the size of a small apple and a multitude of cuts and bruises.

"What happened?" Quinn asked and found that she just could not remove her eyes from the damage.

"Santana." Puck explained simply as he started to feel uncomfortable with the way the two siblings were staring at him with such pity. To try to stop them feeling sorry for him he said, "I let her do it. She deserved to take her shots after I got her girlfriend pregnant and you two deserve the same. She's you little sister and I screwed up her life so take your shots, I won't fight back." At the end he closed his eyes and waited for what he believed to be the inevitable.

Despite her anger and intentions that night Quinn found it impossible to hold onto her anger in the face of such defeat and found herself replying, "We didn't come here to hit you Puck."

He opened his eyes in surprise and scanned their faces for honesty just in case it was a ploy to hit him when he wasn't ready. When they didn't make any sudden movements he relaxed and asked, "Why? You probably should."

"It looks like you have taken enough for tonight and besides we just came to talk." Sam said and then smiled at the look of relief on his friend's face.

"But I'm your bro and I betrayed you." Puck said and Sam was struck with how unusually penitent his friend was acting and felt the need to reassure him.

"Look, if I'm honest, I do feel a little betrayed but I will be able to forgive you especially if you stick around and man up to look after this baby if that's what my sister wants." Sam said honestly as he put his hand on Puck's shoulder and cringed when the brunette boy winced.

"She really did a number on you huh?" Sam asked with a pained smile.

"Yeah, don't ever mess with Satan dude, she's scary!" He replied with a somewhat forced laugh.

"We're sorry to be here so late but Brittany only just finished crying herself to sleep so we had to come late." Quinn started and slightly enjoyed the way Puck flinched at her words. She wasn't as ready to forgive and forget as Sam was. "We want to know if you plan on being there for Brittany and the baby or if you're going to leave her." Quinn finished bluntly and Puck blinked a few times as he absorbed her words.

He looked down at his feet as he responded, "I'm not a deadbeat, I'm not like my Dad and if...if she wants me there then I will be there." The promise hung in the air and Quinn found her bitchiness being sucked out of her.

"You're a good guy Puck." Quinn admitted reluctantly.

"Yeah Puck, I'm glad you're stepping up." Sam added.

"I'm in love with her you know." Puck stated quietly, staring out onto the street behind them.

Neither really knew what to say to that, Quinn was surprised mostly because she was sure that the boy was a player and wasn't capable of real feelings.

"You'll have to talk to her about that." Quinn replied slowly and Puck nodded.

"We'll see you buddy." Sam said as he gave Puck a clap on the shoulder and they both got back in the car. Puck vanished back into his house and Sam gazed at the spot where his friend had once stood and said, "I have never seen him this torn up about anything."

Not for the first time that night Quinn found herself at a loss for what to say and instead started the engine and drove them home.

* * *

If there was one thing that Quinn was glad about the next day it was that Brittany seemed to be out of tears. It made things easier because Quinn wasn't really able to focus seeing her sister in so much pain and so she was able to explain the situation to Leroy, Hiram and Rachel with a quiet strength.

They had been shocked by the news as anyone would be but after some non verbal communication between the two Berry men Leroy turned to Brittany and said, "You will always be welcome in our home. We will be here for you for anything you need."

Quinn had obviously spoke too soon as Brittany burst into tears at the older man's comforting words and her two siblings let out matching sighs of relief. Hiram and Rachel just looked really proud of their husband and father respectively.

They spent the rest of the day at home because Hiram said that none of them were really in any state to be at school. Everyone knew that it was an excuse to let Brittany and Rachel stay home so that they could go shopping for maternity clothes. At first Hiram had wanted to take them shopping for baby clothes but after an awkward silence Brittany admitted that she wasn't sure if she was going to keep the baby and so he hastily changed his plans.

"Do we really have to go too?" Sam complained quietly to Leroy on behalf of Quinn as well.

"Do you really want to go to school?" Leroy asked back as he put on his coat.

"Hell no!" Quinn quickly responded. She had gone every day since she got here and even though she was trying to be a better person she hadn't done a full week in school for about three months. It was getting tiring doing a five day week and she really wanted a day off.

"Then we will trail around shop after shop with them and then I will pay for us to get some burgers." Leroy suggested as they followed the busily talking trio out to the cars.

Quinn and Sam looked at each other for a moment then they both agreed with Leroy's plan.

They had to take two cars due to the fact that they couldn't fit six of them in one car. Quinn had driven Hiram's Prius with Sam, Brittany and Rachel and the Dads had gone in Leroy's car. It meant that Quinn had no problem telling her fellow car mates to go ahead when they got to the shopping centre because she needed a smoke as there were no parental figures around to scold her.

Rachel looked like she was going to go off on a rant and demand that Leroy get her portable projector out of his car so that she could give a presentation of the dangers of smoking right there in the car park. Luckily Brittany saved her by dragging Rachel off to look at some clothes she had spotted in a nearby shop and Sam trailed off reluctantly behind them.

Quinn lit up when they were out of sight and felt herself relax immediately as the smoke soothed her. She wasn't even halfway done when she heard an unpleasant voice interrupt her.

"If it isn't our newest Skank finally living up to our bad reputation." The nasally and frankly annoying voice of The Mack sounded from a few feet away and Quinn opened her eyes just to roll them at the girl before closing them again.

"I'm not a Skank Mack." Quinn corrected between deep puffs.

"You had a smoke with us and I said 'Welcome to the club' didn't I? It means you are a Skank whether you like it or not." Mack said with some aggression in her voice as if daring the pink haired punk to challenge her.

"Look I'll smoke with you, if you got a little weed or want to cut class that's cool with me too but you can't label me." Quinn stated as she drew herself up to her full height which was a few inches taller than Mack and looked at the brunette with defiance.

There was a stare down for a few minutes but eventually a smile curled up on Mack's lips and she took a step back.

"OK Fabray, that's cool. I'll see you around." The words sounded more like a threat but Quinn ignored them as the shorter girl wandered off around the far side of the building.

* * *

Rachel was worried about Quinn's smoking habit but all thoughts of throat cancer and possible death fled her mind when her best friend's hand wrapped around hers and she was pulled towards a shop with Brittany saying, "I need you with me for this Rach."

She really wanted to be there for her friend. It was a complete surprise when she found out that Brittany was pregnant that morning but Rachel was determined to support her and when Rachel Berry is determined nothing can stand in her way.

If what Brittany needed today was help picking out maternity clothes then that was what the little brunette would do even if she herself could admit that she had absolutely no fashion sense.

"What about this Brittany?" Hiram asked, bringing over a pale yellow sun dress with an extended stomach. It was Hiram, Rachel and Brittany left shopping as Leroy, Sam and Quinn had left them almost immediately after walking into the large complex.

"I don't know, I still want to keep as much of my own style as possible. I mean what pregnant teenager would actually wear sun dresses?" Brittany asked with a snort and with a chuckle Hiram agreed, replaced the dress on the rack and went off to the other end of the shop to find something more Brittany-esque.

"So...how are you holding up Britt?" Rachel asked quietly as they stood side my side, picking their way through the same rack.

Brittany let out a deep sigh and then rested her elbow on the metal rail as she turned to face Rachel and replied, "I'm really not sure."

"You know I am always here to talk whenever you need me." Rachel proclaimed genuinely and Brittany felt the sudden need to spill her guts to her best friend.

"I'm really glad that you have all said that you would support me, I can't tell you how much that means to me, its just..." Brittany trailed off and her eyes start to fill with tears. Rachel reached over and pulled the blonde into her arms even though it was more like Brittany was holding her due to the size difference.

"Its just that I am really scared about giving birth to this baby. Rach I'm not sure I can do it but there are no other options because I absolutely refuse to abort it." A fierceness came into Brittany's voice as she spoke the last sentence and Rachel felt oddly proud of her friend of being so brave and for not taking the easy way out.

"Brittany look at me." Rachel demanded, pulling away so she could look straight into clear blue eyes. "Brittany Susan Evans you are the bravest and strongest girl that I have ever met and if there is anyone in the world that can get through this then its you. I believe in you and I_ know_ that you can do this."

The tears finally stopped and Rachel was happy with herself for that accomplishment. "I love you Rach. I don't know what I would do without my best friend." Brittany declared softly and with a light in her eyes that Rachel hadn't seen in them for a while.

"You will never have to find that out Britt because I will always be here." Rachel promised and drew the taller girl into another hug.

"What did I miss?" Hiram asked as he came back with a huge pile of clothes in his arms.

* * *

With one slightly scolding message from Hiram to Leroy about leaving them to carry their own bags, Leroy suggested that they meet in the food court so he could start making it up to them especially because Hiram and Rachel weren't used to having to carry their own bags. Leroy was their personal and permanent bag carrier and it was a job he was always happy to carry out until Sam and Quinn suggested they go to the arcade and get pre-lunch burgers.

It was an offer that he just couldn't say no to and he found himself very glad that he had taken the Evans triplets into his home. At least it meant he was less outnumbered when it came to doing fun stuff and decisions like where they should get lunch.

"Taco's? Really?" Rachel questioned as they stood next to the food stand.

"Well I was thinking of going and getting some nice rare and bloody steaks since Leroy is paying but I thought you would prefer this more." Quinn replied teasingly as she knew the image of bloody slabs of meat would not go down well with Rachel.

As predicted she felt a small tan hand collide with her stomach as she was backhanded across the abs for her joke. "Come on Rach its not that bad." Quinn tried to sell it.

"There is no reason why we should all have to get food from the same place. I will get a salad from over there and then will come and sit with you." Rachel said shortly and promptly marched over to the stand selling varying kinds of salads.

"You're in trouble." Sam murmured to her with a grimace as they watched Rachel queue up with her arms crossed across her chest and her foot tapping impatiently.

"I'll get her to forgive me." Quinn asserted confidently and Sam snorted then went up to place his order.

As Quinn had already had a burger with Sam and Leroy about an hour ago she decided that she had ingested enough good food for her to suffer through what she was going to do. So she walked over and queued up beside Rachel to order a salad.

Rachel looked up curiously as Quinn joined her without saying a word and when the pink haired girl looked over at her she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Can't a girl enjoy a salad with very little meat instead of a delicious taco?" Quinn asked innocently and Rachel looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I deem your offering acceptable." Rachel responded in reference to Quinn's peace offering and the brunette wrapped her arm through the taller girl's as they waited.

"I'm glad because I'm too fond of kissing you for you to be mad at me." Quinn declared with a wink as they moved to the front of the line.

"Two vegan egg salads and two waters please." Rachel ordered for both of them, making Quinn wince at her options. She let her mind go back to a better place, the place it was in an hour ago as she ate a double bacon cheeseburger. Rachel paid with the money Leroy gave her and they went and sat with their group but not before Quinn shot a jealous glance at the two taco's that Sam had bought.

Sam noticed her stare and pointedly took a huge bite of his food to tease her and she quickly stabbed and ate a piece of lettuce but it didn't have quite the same effect and it made Sam laugh. Rachel only made Quinn endure the apparent torture for a few more minutes before she announced, "I won't be mad if you go and buy a taco baby."

They watched the Quinn shaped blur dump the large amount of remaining salad in a bin before she lined up and bought the same as Sam had been eating.

"Thanks sweetie, that lump of mess was a nightmare." Quinn said and gave Rachel a light kiss on the lips in appreciation before tucking in.

A loud whipping noise came from the table and they looked up to see Sam laughing as he set off another whip sound from an app on his phone and they all laughed. Even Rachel chuckled when Sam said, "You are so whipped already Fabray."

"Screw you Evans." Quinn mumbled back but it didn't have the intimidating effect it should have but she didn't really want it to.

"I like that you are so whipped already baby, its cute. It just means that you will be that much easier to control when we start..." Rachel didn't finish her sultry whisper into Quinn's ear she just let the pink haired girl's imagination run away with her and then kissed a blushing red cheek as she pulled away.

"I'm not sure I want to know what you whispered in her ear to get her blushing like that." Leroy admitted as he playfully grimaced into his food.

"No I don't think you do Daddy." Rachel agreed.

* * *

After such a pleasant day it felt as if the universe just didn't want them to be happy for very long as Puck turned up in front of the Berry house. It was Rachel who opened the door and she found it very hard to refrain from hitting the boy despite the fact that she thought violence was wrong. It was her raised voice that drew her Dads to the door and surprisingly it was Leroy who had to keep the other two Berry's in check.

He moved to stand in front of Rachel and asked the nervous looking teenager shuffling his feet on the front porch, "Why don't you come in son?" Puck looked shocked to be the recipient of such kindness from people who knew what a terrible mistake he had made but he moved quickly into the house anyway.

Quinn and Brittany had been sat on the sofa watching a bad reality TV show and Brittany had been in the process of shouting at Quinn for mocking her favourite character when the blonde girl spotted the father of her child.

"What are you doing here Noah?" Brittany quietly asked, the playfulness immediately dropping from her face and tone.

"We need to talk...we haven't really yet and I think we should." Puck said boldly, gaining confidence from the nod coming from the large African American man stood behind him. Nobody moved as Brittany seemed to be thinking and then she asked with the same subdued voice she had previously used, "Could Noah and I have some privacy please?"

Everyone nodded and walked out of the room quickly and quietly. Sam chose that moment to coming bounding down the stairs and was in the process of asking Hiram what they were having for dinner when Quinn grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled him into Leroy's office with the rest of them. The office was the only place on the ground floor that they wouldn't be able to hear the conversation going on in the living room but that was close enough should Brittany need them.

It had only been twenty minutes when the infamously short Rachel Berry patience wore out and Quinn couldn't help but think she had lasted longer than usual and so was a little proud. That was until Rachel pressed her ear against the office door to try to hear what was going on and then the pride disappeared. She was even less impressed when Hiram exclaimed, "Oh what a great idea!" then went and pressed his head to the door just above his daughter's. Quinn guessed that lack of patience was an hereditary trait.

"Guys come on, that's not cool." Sam said as he gently tugged at their clothes to pull them away. It was almost symmetry how they both pouted and then Leroy and Quinn opened their arms at the same time and gave their respective partners a hug.

Before Sam could comment on the moment they heard the front door close and they all scurried from the room to find out what was happening. Out of the bay window at the front of the house they could see Puck's truck pulling away and Brittany was sat on the sofa with her head in her hands but this time she wasn't crying.

"Britt, are you OK?" Sam asked slowly and regretted it immediately for how stupid he thought it sounded but was reassured by a weak smile that Brittany threw his way.

"You know I have been thinking about what I wanted to do with this baby since I first found out that I was pregnant." Brittany started with a deep sigh that really showed just how tired this whole thing had really made her. "I knew that I could never get rid of it...I'm just not that type of person but it took me a while to decide what to do after it was born."

They let the silence descend on the room for quite a few minutes before any one was brave enough to break the silence and ask the question that was on everyone's mind.

"What are you going to do with it?" Rachel whispered as she took a seat on the sofa next to the blonde and took a long pale hand into her own.

Bright blue eyes made contact with Rachel's and they were filled with a startling strength that none of them had expected to see. Brittany spoke surely, her voice matching the determination that her body language was showing, "I'm going to raise it myself."

Her decision was made and although Leroy and Hiram spent the next few hours giving her every reason they could think of as to why it was a bad idea, Brittany remained resolute.

All of their arguments were quickly killed after a few hours when Brittany finally said, "I will not abandon my child." Nobody could argue against that.

* * *

The four teenagers in the household were dreading the next day in school and the inevitable confrontation between Santana and Brittany. Brittany was dreading it because she felt so guilty and she knew that there was no way to excuse what she had done even if she had been drunk. The other three were dreading it mostly because they hated to see Brittany cry but also because they were all friends with Santana and didn't want to lose her if her and Brittany broke up.

It turned out that all of their worrying had been in vain however as Santana didn't turn up to cheerleading practice. When Quinn met Brittany in their first class of the day and the blonde was looking surprisingly tearless, Quinn wanted to know if Santana was in school but just avoiding Brittany. If that was the case then the punk needed to have a word with the girl because as much as she herself hating talking things out she would have to advice Santana to talk about it with Brittany.

That was why she found herself practically running out of the classroom when the bell went so that she could make it to the Latina's locker with the best chance of catching her. When she got there however she was confused to see that there was a giant dent in the cheap metal of Santana's locker.

To be honest it would have surprised her if a book had accidentally knocked against it and made the mark with the cheap quality but it was distinctly...fist shaped.

Quinn found herself staring at the indentation trying to figure out what had happened when Sue walked past and decided to put her out of her misery.

"Hey cotton candy head, if you're wondering what happened to sandbags I can tell you that she was suspended yesterday when you, the hobbit and the wonder twins decided to skip school." Sue said without stopping so Quinn ran after her to carry on the conversation.

"Why was she suspended?" Quinn asked desperately, her mind automatically going to a number of the worst possibilities.

"She threw a punch at the Jew but missed and hit her locker. She was suspended for two weeks for attempting to attack another student and damage of school property." Sue explained and sped up as she turned a corner, leaving Quinn stood in the middle of the hallway.

She couldn't believe that Figgins would be as unfair as to suspend Santana for something like this when he did nothing about what Sam did to Finn. Not that she wanted Sam to be punished she was just astounded by the man's inconsistency.

Wandering back to the locker she saw Puck walking past and shooting it a brief but clearly regretful look before disappearing into the crowd again.

It was hard not to feel sorry for Santana. She had done almost everything right in her relationship, she loved Brittany so much but in the end it wasn't enough. She had lost her anyway.

* * *

**A/N: So I want to ask you guys a question. If you recall I said that there would be three big bad things happening. The first was Finn threatening Sam, the second was Brittany being pregnant and I want to see if any of you can guess what the third thing is going to be. I have already laid the foundations for it to happen over the last few chapters so take a guess, the clues are there!**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please tell me what you thought...**


	14. The Fall Of Brittany Evans

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

**A/N:OK so I'm not going to tell you if anyone guessed right on the last chapter because that would ruin the element of surprise. I will however confirm that it is going to be something that happens to Quinn but not something that happens in this chapter!**

**This is probably the longest chapter I have ever written so I hope you enjoy...**

* * *

The first thing Quinn heard was a vague gurgling noise and to be honest it worried her a little. She tried to ignore it but then she heard a large crash and felt something knock into the back of her legs, forcing her downwards into the sinks in front of her.

A tiny little freshman girl with braids and braces was sprawled out across the floor of the girl's bathroom at her feet and immediately the punk stooped to help the poor girl up. Quinn was unsure as to what had happened but a flash of fear crossed the girl's already pale face and Quinn saw the three Skanks piling out of the cubicle the girl had just been in. Then Quinn noticed that the girl's braid were wet and the drops on her cheeks were not only from her tears and it all made sense.

Her face hardened as she positioned herself in front of the sobbing girl and faced up to the three smirking delinquents all of whom were happily lighting up there cigarettes. Mack took a few steps closer to the pink haired girl and blew a stream of smoke in her face but Quinn realised what she was about to do and purposefully didn't flinch.

"So Fabray, have you changed your mind yet? You know I am not a patient person so this will be your last chance to join us." Mack warned in a faux friendly voice.

"Why would I want to join you?" Quinn asked with a raised eyebrow. As the three Skanks starting laughing and looking at each other as if to say, 'why wouldn't see want to join us, we're awesome!' Quinn felt a small hand fist itself in the back of her shirt and a small sniff sound from the girl she was shielding.

"Well we won't screw you over if you were one of us and if you refuse...well we would have to take that personally in which case we would be forced to mess with your whole life." Mack threatened with all of the good humour gone from her voice.

Quinn snorted. She knew she shouldn't have and if she could have stopped it she would have because as much as she was dying to see if she could fight all three of the Skanks at once, it wasn't just her in that bathroom. So she quickly tried to appease them, as their gaze turned murderous, by asking, "So what would I have to do to join?"

The question did the trick and Mack smiled and replied, "Just swirly the Salty girl and you're in."

"Sugar." Sugar corrected them in a murmur as she stiffened behind the punk and Quinn tried to let her know telepathically that she would never do that but it was obviously no good. She may have been a punk, dressed in ripped clothes who skipped school every now and again and who would drink, smoke and occasionally get high but she was not mean. More than that she was not a bully.

Fighting people who wanted to hurt her or her family was one thing but being violent to someone just because they didn't 'fit in' was definitely not her style.

"Well ladies I am afraid I am going to have to decline that most appealing offer." The sarcasm dripped from her voice but before the Skanks had a chance to process what she had said, Quinn had grabbed Sugar's hand and dragged her from the room and pushing her out of the door first.

"Quinn what's going on?" Quinn looked up to see Brittany about to walk into the bathroom she was walking out of and so she took the blonde's arm and pulled her along too until they were in a different hallway.

Sugar was looking really confused and Quinn wanted to elaborate before the shorter girl left so she said, "I'm not that kind of person you know. I would never be a part of something like that."

"You are probably the nicest person I have met since I got here." Sugar admitted in a nasally voice. "Thank you for saving me, not many people would have bothered." Sugar apparently found her shoes very interesting and she was blushing.

"Hey its no problem and if they bother you again, come to me and I will make it clear to them that if they touch you again then they will have me to answer to." Quinn said in a tough voice that was slightly negated by the fact that Brittany giggled behind her but she was going with it.

"Why would you do that? You don't even know me." Sugar asked, her blue eyes boring into Quinn's own with a firmness Quinn wouldn't have imagined seeing in the girl.

"Why wouldn't I do it?" Quinn asked back and then answered her own question, "Nobody deserves that."

The bell rang as they were speaking, signalling the end of lunch and Quinn groaned as she realised that Rachel and Sam would probably be worried that she didn't come back to the cafeteria but she didn't have the next lesson with them so there was nothing she could do.

"Well thank you Quinn." Sugar said with a beaming smile as she scurried away to her next lesson.

Brittany linked arms with her sister and they walked to their shared Geography class together. "You saved a girl from being bullied didn't you?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Is Quinnie going all soft? Is she not the big bad punk any more?" Brittany teased playfully and Quinn couldn't help but laugh along because it had been so long since she had seen her sister with a smile on her face and she was soaking it all up now.

"I can't wait to tell Rachel!" Brittany exclaimed excitedly as they took their seats at the back of the room and Quinn stopped laughing. She wasn't keen to find out how Rachel would react to the fact that she had nearly gotten into another fight.

* * *

When the final bell of the day rang, Quinn was very slow to leave her classroom, mainly because she was fearing Rachel's wrath. Brittany shared her last class of the day with Rachel and Sam so they probably both knew by now and although Sam would probably just high-five her for being a badass she was sure Rachel would be mad.

By the time she finally made it to her locker the hallways were almost completely cleared out and only a dwindling few people were left. She dropped her books into her locker then slammed the tiny metal door shut only to come face to face with Rachel.

"Hey Rach what's up?" Quinn greeted casually as she tried to read Rachel but she had a look on her face that Quinn had never seen before.

"So I was talking to Brittany..." Rachel started in a low voice as she started to take some steps forward. Quinn took a few steps back to make sure the same distance remained between them so that she didn't experience the impending anger up close and prepared herself for the rant that was surely coming on not getting suspended.

"She told me what you did at lunch time..." Rachel carried on with a little extra something slipping into her voice that Quinn had heard from other girls before but never from Rachel. At that point Quinn's back hit the wall at the end of the hallway and Rachel took a quick look around to make sure nobody was still around before surging forward.

Her lips met Quinn's harshly and Rachel tugged on the pink hair under her hands to bring the taller girl even closer to her. Quinn groaned as she let her hands slip around Rachel's hips, palming the curves there and slipping her tongue into the brunette's mouth.

After a few minutes they pulled apart breathing harshly and resting their foreheads together. "I don't understand. I thought you would be mad..." Quinn trailed off as she felt Rachel's finger gently tracing each of her abs through her shirt and for a second she forgot how to breath.

"Why would I be mad baby? You saved an unpopular freshman girl from bullies, to be honest...I think that's really sexy." Rachel whispered the last part in a sultry tone into her ear and Quinn decided she was done being gentle.

In a quick movement Quinn span them around so that Rachel was pressed against the wall and the pink haired girl attached her mouth to the tan neck in front of her continually kissing and biting the flesh there. The moan that she got from Rachel in response was enough to get her throbbing and the nails scratching into her back were causing shivers to roll through her.

Before she realised it, her hand was trailing its way up to Rachel's breast but she managed to stop just before the swell eliciting a small but very sexy whimper from Rachel in protest.

"Touch me Quinn." Rachel gave her permission and she didn't need to be told twice as she let her hand graze Rachel's breast over her clothes. When Rachel pushed her breast into Quinn's hand, looking for more, Quinn obliged and twisted at the nipple that had been grazing her palm.

The action drew out an obscenely loud moan from Rachel that almost made Quinn come on the spot but it also made Quinn realise where they were and the fact that they could get caught at any moment.

She dropped a kiss on Rachel's plump lips then murmured into them, "Maybe we should go back to the house, any one could catch us here and I want to be the only one that gets to hear those sexy moans of yours." Quinn added her own dash of sensuality to the mix that made Rachel bite her lip.

"Lets go."

* * *

Leroy and Hiram Berry were sent from somewhere to destroy any chance she had of a sex life, she would swear it. They had driven very fast towards the Berry house with the occasional eye sex and wandering hands thrown in only to find Rachel's Dads, sat in the living room waiting for them so that they could have the dating talk that Leroy had promised.

Quinn honestly felt she would die of sexual frustration and although Rachel was hiding it a lot better, she was feeling the same way.

"Where are Sam and Brittany? Are they catching a ride home with someone else?" Hiram asked, looking to Quinn whose eyes widened in horror as she realised that she had completely forgotten about her brother and sister.

"Uh, I'm going to go pick them up after their practices." Quinn answered truthfully just not mentioning that she hadn't discussed that with her siblings.

"Well that's good because it means we have the house to ourselves whilst we have this talk." Hiram replied lightly and Leroy spent the whole time looking intently at Quinn in an effort to intimidate her. Unfortunately for Leroy, Quinn had once seen him get his shirt stuck in Hiram's car door resulting in him running halfway down the street as Hiram drove off before he managed to rip his own shirt off and then start the walk of shame back to the house. After that there was really no way that Quinn could be intimidated by the man but she was becoming a little uncomfortable which pleased Leroy all the same.

The two men looked at each other for a moment and then Hiram decided to speak up, " So since you two have no gone on a date we feel the need to set down some guidelines especially because you live in the same house it would be too easy to slip into something you are both not ready for."

Quinn was already getting a little embarrassed by the fact they were, indirectly, talking about sex but it was made a hundred times worse when Leroy finally spoke up and asked, "Are you a virgin Quinn?"

Both of the girls sat on the love seat froze at the question because they had yet to discuss it between themselves. Eventually Quinn decided to take the plunge and answered, "No I'm not."

Rachel discreetly slid her hand off Quinn's thigh and Quinn felt the loss like a stab in the heart. She could almost feel the tears about to spill from Rachel's eyes but she didn't know what she could do about it. She didn't regret the way she lost her virginity because she had honestly thought she had loved her girlfriend at the time but she did regret the way it was now hurting Rachel.

"How many sexual partners have you had?" Leroy carried on without any care for the discomfort on Quinn's or Hiram's face. Both he and Hiram had set out a list of questions years ago that they would ask Rachel's potential suitors when they came around though they had yet to use them. He needed to get these questions out of the way and just because things were getting awkward didn't mean he should stop. The tears in his little girl's eyes just solidified that fact more as she needed to know these things.

On Quinn's part she was silently cursing the wording of Leroy's question. If he had asked her how many girlfriends she had had then she could have said one and it wouldn't have made Rachel feel so bad. Unfortunately she had to reply with, "Four."

"Big number?" Leroy declared and Hiram murmured, "No add-libbing." But he didn't take back his comment.

Quinn decided that at this point honesty was the best way to go and it was best to get her previous sexual exploits out into the open as they had broached the topic.

"I have had one girlfriend." Quinn started and the implication that the rest had been one night stands was clear and she let out a sigh and looked at Rachel as she explained, "The other three was when I was going through a very hard time in my life. I'm not proud of how I handled it and I do regret that but its in the past and I am not that type of person any more." It was quite a bold statement to make seeing as the last of these flings had only been a little over a month ago but Quinn was confident that she would never go back to the dark place she had gone to when Dave died again.

"Just random sex because you didn't pass an exam." Leroy asked mockingly and Hiram scolded him and the look in his eyes seemed to say that he realised that he had gone too far.

More than anything Quinn wanted to be able to say that she was depressed because her best friend was murdered right in front of her and it was her fault because that would truly mean she was moving on from it but she just couldn't get the words out. Her mouth opened and closed a few times and she emitted a weird croaking sound before Rachel finally spoke up.

"She doesn't have to explain herself. If she wanted to sleep with random sluts that was her own decision." Rachel's voice was strangely emotionless and she couldn't make eye contact with anyone in the room.

"It wasn't like that." Quinn said in a voice that dripped with such sadness that Rachel couldn't help but look at the pink haired girl who was staring out the window. Nobody could think of anything to say but Quinn saved them from having to come up with anything to break the silence by spinning around after shaking herself from her thoughts.

"That's all in the past and its not something that I want to remember. You are my present and future Rachel and I hope that can be enough for you because that is all I have to give." Her hazel eyes bore fiercely into Rachel until the brunette felt like she was the only one in the world.

Honestly though Rachel couldn't help but feel very disappointed. She knew it was way too early but she found herself thinking a lot about the first time she would have sex with Quinn. The picture in her mind was clear and one important part of that picture was them both being virgins. She had just never thought to check if that was the case.

Now Rachel just couldn't help but think the girls who had been with Quinn, that they had all had her in a way that Rachel hoped only she ever would. It was hard to even look at Quinn without the image of some random girl hanging off her springing to mind.

"They mean nothing compared to you." Quinn whispered as she pulled Rachel closer and rested their foreheads together.

"I shouldn't have just assumed you were a virgin. You're still the same Quinn you've always been its just now I know more about you." Rachel stated as she played with Quinn's fingers which were in her lap. In that split second she had decided to try to accept the information, after all there was nothing she could do about it and hoped that when the time came it wouldn't matter if her girlfriend was a virgin or not.

Quinn leaned forward so her lips were pressed against Rachel's ear and so her Dads couldn't hear as she breathed out, "The most important thing you need to know about me is that I am yours and I don't care if its too early to sat it." At this point she brought Rachel's palm up to rest over her heart which was thumping rapidly. "Every time I am near you my heart goes crazy and it has never done that before for anyone else. Don't worry about those other girls because you are the only one that has ever made me feel this way. I didn't know what love was until I met you."

At Quinn's admission Rachel gasped and accidentally dug her nails in over Quinn's heart but Quinn didn't flinch. When Rachel eventually found her words she was able to murmur back, "Do you really mean that?"

"Every word."

It was enough for Rachel especially because it really is hard to stay mad at someone who has just confessed their undying love for you. She let her hand slide into Quinn's and they both turned to face the Dads again as they carried on going through some guidelines about them dating. One in particular being that they were not allowed to sleep in the same bed (or sofa) again because yes they had spotted them the night they had slept on the sofa together and they both thought it was too soon for anything like that to happen again.

Quinn just agreed to everything because the girl she loved knew about some of her past and seemed to be OK with it. She was on top of the world.

When Leroy and Hiram let them go, both looking better for having got through the conversation, Quinn took them up into Rachel's room and then straight out onto the balcony. In the daytime the many trees that were surrounding them were bursting with colour and the sun shone down brightly enough to give them both a hazy feeling.

"This is perfect." Quinn stated as she looked around and nodded to herself.

"Perfect for what Quinn?" Rachel asked with a small amused smile at how excited the pink haired girl looked.

"For this." Quinn knelt down and grabbed Rachel's hand and asked, "Rachel will you be my girlfriend?"

The small smile turned into a full on grin as Rachel tackled Quinn to the ground with a tiny squeal and then replied, "I would love to."

* * *

The next morning Rachel and Quinn were even more sickeningly sweet than usual so much so that when Leroy and Hiram were out of ear shot Sam asked, "So did you guys do it?" It was the only reason he could come up with as to why they were suddenly more all over each other than usual.

"Samuel Evans!" Rachel scolded loud enough that her Dads looked over questioningly.

"Well that's a yes." Sam muttered into cereal and hoping that it would help him avoid the possible wrath of Rachel.

"That's not a yes and even if it was a yes that would be none of your business." Rachel stated with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked to Quinn to back her up.

"Yeah man if the answer was yes Rachel would be a lot less uptight." Quinn said to her brother and promptly got slapped in the arm as Rachel let out a disgruntled sigh.

Rachel made sure to promptly ignore the both of them the whole way to school, pointedly only talking to Brittany. However when the others left to go to their respective practices, the two girls were left alone. They walked inside the building and straight away Quinn slid her hand into Rachel's in front of the, admittedly small, crowd and Rachel couldn't help but start beaming again as she clung to the punk's arm. She was so happy that her girlfriend didn't have any issues about being public with their relationship now that they were official that she forgot all about earlier comments.

In fact when they turned the corner and reached the hallway that contained Brittany and Quinn's lockers they forgot about everything other than the dozens of brightly coloured pictures stuck to every locker, each one eliciting the same reaction as a smack in the face would.

Printed on various coloured pages was a photo-shopped picture of Brittany taking, by the looks of it, at a cheerleading competition with a huge extended stomach. The implication was clearly that Brittany was pregnant and the large black letters on top of each picture saying, 'SLUT' only served to more enforce that idea.

There weren't many people in the school at this time but there were enough already grabbing the flyers off the wall for both girls to realise that Brittany's news would spread through the gossip vine and be school wide news before the first bell rang.

Once again Quinn found herself getting angry that she had failed to protect her sister and now her secret would get out and there was nothing they could do about it.

Quinn let out and angry growl and immediately started tearing the pieces of paper down off the various lockers either balling them up or ripping them apart. Although Rachel realised that what Quinn was doing was mainly a way to vent her frustrations she did realise that they needed to try to get rid of the flyers. With that in mind she walked to the opposite bank of lockers and started methodically peeling the papers from the metal.

When Quinn had finally calmed down a few minutes later, having successfully talked herself out of collecting all the posters and burning them, she rested her head against a locker and looked at a still intact poster in her hands.

Her eyes widened when she spotted something that in her anger towards her self she had actually missed. A small skunk was printed in the bottom right hand corner of every single poster and Quinn automatically understood what it meant. Mack was getting Quinn back for not joining when she had asked her too and for saving Sugar from them and essentially undermining them.

Mack had warned that she would mess with Quinn's whole life but the pink haired girl wasn't one to go down without a fight. Without so much as a word to Rachel, Quinn dropped the pile of flyers in her hands and sprinted off down the hallway and towards the bleachers.

Rachel's shouts for her to stop echoed down the hallway but fell on deaf ears as Quinn's feet met grass and other voices started calling her name. Vaguely she could make out the shape of two blonde figures she assumed to be her brother and sister running from their practices to her but she was intent on only one person.

The calling of Quinn's name coaxed Mack from her under the bleachers hide out with a smirk on her face that infuriated Quinn even more. When they finally met it was at the bottom of the bleachers and Quinn slammed Mack against the metal hand rail, letting it dig uncomfortably into her lower back.

Quinn moved her face dangerously close to Mack's, letting her anger seep into every word as she growled, "You think your hot shit just because you learned how to work photo-shop? Let me tell you something skunk, you can't even imagine the ways I am going to mess your life and your face up." Quinn threatened and drew pleasure from the fact that the smirk was wiped off the shorter girl's face. She was fully intending to go crazy on the shorter girl in the way Sam had stopped her from going crazy on Puck the night before.

The punk didn't get much time to savour her moment of power however before she felt somebody come up behind her and pull her away.

"What are you doing Quinn, you want to get us into the same trouble we had with Finn?" Sam whispered into her ear but it did nothing to sooth her and she struggled to get back to Mack in an attempt to follow through on her promise of messing up the girl's face. She really wasn't about to let him stop her twice.

A few seconds before Quinn was about to kick Sam in the nuts to make him let go, Rachel came running over to them and breathed out, "Sorry it took me so long to follow you, I dumped the flyers we collected before coming out here."

"What's going on Rach?" Brittany asked but it was Quinn who answered.

"This bitch put flyers up all over the school telling people your secret Britt!" Quinn made another attempt to escape from Sam's arms and actually managed it before quickly being recaptured by Sam and Puck. The area behind them was quickly filling up with both the football and cheerleading teams and so Brittany decided it was best not to go crazy just yet.

"How did you find out?" The blonde asked with relative calmness that she was definitely not feeling inside.

"Puck told me." Mack said, trying to enforce some of her old attitude into her words but with a growl from Quinn she realised that was a mistake and quickly looked down at the ground.

The triplets and Rachel, spun around to look at Puck with accusing eyes and he stuttered as he explained, "We've been best friends since middle school. I tell her everything I just didn't realise that she would betray my trust."

Puck's words seemed to hit Mack harder than anything else that had happened that morning and she seemed truly regretful for hurting her best friend. "I'm sorry Noah, I just needed to make a point." Mack explained but it sounded a pitiful excuse even to her own ears.

"You wanted to make a point at the sake of our friendship and by hurting the mother of my child in the process?" Puck questioned with some anger. Mack flinched at the tone and Sam and Quinn also flinched however that was due to the use of the term, 'mother of my child'. They hated him calling their little sister that.

"Look, I didn't want to hurt you Noah I just..." Mack started but Puck cut her off.

"But you did." Then he started walking back onto the field to get back to football practice. Brittany and Sam followed his example as they didn't want to get in trouble with their respective coaches but Quinn lingered for a moment.

"You come anywhere near my sister again and I will take you down." It was a vague threat but it seemed to have the desired effect as Mack simply nodded as she stared at Puck's back and then went back under the bleachers.

"Don't you have to get to wrestling practice?" Rachel asked when Mack had finally disappeared.

"I'm already so late that Coach will have my ass so I might as well spend my time making sure all those flyers are removed from the school before there is any chance of Brittany seeing them." Quinn said as she slid her hand into Rachel's and they started walking back towards the school.

"Sounds great. We have about half an hour to collect and dispose of an estimated 500 flyers from around the school." Rachel informed with a wry smile.

"Should be a piece of cake." Quinn replied sarcastically.

* * *

Quinn knew it was wrong and that Sam, Brittany and Rachel would hate her for it but she was upset damn it and if Santana could do it then so could she. When she found Puck he was standing by his locker and as soon as they made eye contact Puck seemed to understand exactly what the girl was there for.

"You wish that Sam hadn't stopped you from taking your shot last night." Puck stated with a sad and understanding smile as he closed his locker and turned to face the pink haired girl.

"You deserve it, you forced her and if Sam hadn't been there last night then you wouldn't be here today." Quinn threatened lowly.

Quinn looked about ready to swing so Puck responded quickly, "I didn't force her."

His words made Quinn pause so he continued, "I can't even remember what happened that night. I was so drunk that everything is a blank. I wouldn't have even known I slept with her if she hadn't told me the next day and of course I trust that she didn't lie to me about it."

"So you expect me to believe that you didn't get drunk with the intention of sleeping with the girl you profess to love." Quinn sneered as she finally let out all her anger that had been previously contained.

"I do love her and I didn't plan to sleep with her that night. I'm jealous of Santana but she's still my lesbro and I would never do that to do her." He looked thoughtful for a second and then added on, "Well not sober anyway."

Quinn felt powerless, like it was wrong to hit him now and she hated the feeling. "You're still on my watch list Puckerman and I want you to know that I do not like you but I will put up with you for Brittany's sake."

There was nothing that Puck could say in response and Quinn had already stalked away anyway.

* * *

Brittany didn't notice what they were doing at first but after a mornings worth of lessons and the first half of the lunch break had been spent with either Quinn, Rachel, Sam or Puck by her side at all times she finally cottoned on.

They had been doing guard duty and she knew that she should be mad and if she was honest the pregnancy hormones _were_ making her angry for five second bursts occasionally but mostly she just felt very loved. When all five of them were at the lunch table together Brittany decided to make it known how much she appreciated them.

"Thank you guys for guarding me this morning but I really don't think its necessary." Quinn and Sam in particular exchanged unsure glances with each other so Brittany continued, "Don't get me wrong guys I'm really grateful you care so much its just that it may be a waste of time. What are you expecting to happen?"

No one replied and it was a very loaded silence so she repeated her question more seriously, "What are you expecting to happen?"

Sam nudged Quinn under the table in a move that clearly told her that as she was the oldest, she was the one expected to explain their reasoning. She coughed into her fist and then looked up from the food tray she had been pointedly staring at to explain, "Britt we are just worried that the people in this school are small minded idiots who may try to bully or slushie you when they find out your news. That would be really bad for the baby so if someone is with you at all times we could make sure that doesn't happen."

"Yeah and do you remember that freshman girl? How she got slushied for the first time and went into shock? Nobody realised and they had to call an ambulance. Those slushies can be extremely damaging and we just don't want to risk any harm coming to the baby." Rachel added on and Brittany sat in silence whilst she thought over their words.

An acute sense of fear had overcome her now that she realised that her baby's health could be in danger even if a jock did something as simple as pushing her into a locker. It made her want to drop out of school until the baby was born or ask all four of them to follow her around everywhere in a protective circle however she realised that both options were ridiculous.

"OK, I definitely agree with you guys." Brittany agreed, placing a protective hand over her flat stomach and the other occupants of the table sighed in relief at her agreement.

It turned out that it was very lucky that they had decided to put a 'guard' on Brittany because no sooner had they discussed it then some idiot decided to take the first move.

It was the time just before the last lesson of the day and Brittany was at her locker picking up a book with Sam hovering protectively next to her when the the large line backer on the football team came up to Brittany.

"Hey man what's up?" Sam asked in a fake cheerful voice as he intercepted the huge guy a few feet away from his sister. He fought the urge to gulp as he had to look up to see into his eyes.

The guy clearly saw that he wasn't going to get close to Brittany at this time and he definitely didn't want to get in a physical fight with his captain but he still decided to take his shot with some verbal abuse. It was that kind of bullying that got guys like him high fives from other popular kids and that was what made his life worth living.

"I just wanted to see the slut. See if she wanted a little action in the janitor's closet seeing as she's already knocked up." He finished off with a leer at Brittany and Sam was pretty sure that if Puck hadn't been walking past at that moment then he would have done something stupid to the jerk. He was lucky however that Puck had taken to watching out for Brittany even when it wasn't his turn and therefore was walking past at just the right time to stop Sam from lunging.

The jock laughed again before happily walking off, pleased with himself that he had caused such a reaction.

At the same time across the school in a girls bathroom Quinn had just walked into an antagonizing situation of her own and had to have another hot Jew save her from doing something stupid. The pink haired girl was washing her hands at a sink when Mack walked into the bathroom and they both stood and just looked at each for a few tense moments.

All at once, Mack's eyes widened slightly and she started to retreat, reaching for the door handle as Quinn moved forward with a snarl. Mack however wasn't watching where she was going and completely missed the door and pressed herself against the wall far away from the handle and possible freedom.

Quinn kept moving forward however and the door swung open as she got closer and Rachel stepped into the bathroom. Quinn didn't have enough time to stop though and just barrelled straight into her, making them both tumble to the ground with Quinn falling on top of the smaller girl.

When Quinn realised what had happened she was slightly reluctant to get off the Diva because she had had far too many unfulfilled dreams of having Rachel underneath her. Their bodies were pressing together just right and Quinn's head was pressed against Rachel's breast and she just savoured the moment until she heard a small pointed cough from just above her head.

"As much as I love the idea of you on top of me, I think we need to get up." Rachel whispered into Quinn's ear as she rubbed up and down the punk's lean back and tried not to imagine what it would be like to dig her nails into the flesh in a different situation.

A groan vibrated against Rachel's boob and she bit her lip before watching Quinn get up and allowing herself to be helped up as well. She was particularly enjoying the lustful stare Quinn was eyeing her with but she had to ask, "Why were you running out of the bathroom Quinn, was it because you are so late for class that in my worry I decided to come looking for you?" Rachel even added a little bit of scolding at the end of her sentence.

It didn't really matter though because Quinn was engaging in a staring contest with the hint of cleavage that was peaking out of Rachel's t-shirt that had been exposed due to the fall and at that moment in time couldn't remember anything. That was until they heard a groan, and Mack walked out from behind the door, which had smacked her in the face when Rachel had swung it open, with a bloody nose.

Quinn's face darkened again but this time Rachel had a hand securely around the punk's arm before she could try anything. Instead Quinn resorted to using her voice rather than her body to make her threat. "You come near my family again and I will end you and make it look like a suicide." It was said with deadly seriousness and Mack kept on an unaffected face that wasn't quite believable, nodded and then quickly left the bathroom.

When Quinn felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist and a head rest on the back of her neck, she was finally able to get her temper under control. She turned around so she was hugging Rachel properly and then after a while, led them to wait in the car as there was only half a lesson left of the day.

They held hands over the centre console in the car until Sam and Brittany got in as the final bell rang. Nobody had any practices after school that day so they all went home straight away and were all glad to see the end of the week from hell.

* * *

The weekend was surprisingly pleasant. It was almost as if the universe wanted to balance things out in terms of how bad things had been that week with Finn, Santana and Mack.

On Saturday morning, despite the fact that Rachel had woken her up early, Quinn enjoyed herself because her new girlfriend taught her how to make vegan pancakes which were to die for. She may have also enjoyed being woken up by having a hot brunette led on top of her, placing open mouthed kisses to her neck. The pink haired girl may have pretended to be asleep a little longer than necessary in the hopes that Rachel might step it up but after a rough nip on her pulse point she groaned and was effectively caught out.

Quinn would only admit to herself and then to Rachel later when they were alone, that she enjoyed not just the wake up call but also the baking just because she got to be herself and spend time with Rachel without any pressures from anything else.

When Puck made a visit on Sunday night as they were having the traditional Berry family board game night, Quinn was sure that it would end badly. He played a game of Monopoly with them then asked to talk to Brittany again. They came back looking fairly happy and he left shortly after that.

"So what did he say Britt?" Rachel asked gently as the whole family stopped their game of Cluedo to listen for the answer.

"He said that he would always be there for me but he wasn't into me that way and he wondered if I would be OK with him pursuing someone else. He said he wouldn't if I didn't want to him to but I'm fine with it because I only want Sant..." She trailed off suddenly as the name got stuck in her throat.

"Um yeah so I think its your turn Sam if you want to..." She gestured to the tiny plastic form of Colonel Mustard and emphasized with her eyes from him to take the attention off Brittany.

"Oh yeah, let me just..." He reached forward and rolled the dice before sitting back seriously and making his accusation.

"Sam the machine gun isn't a murder weapon in this game." Rachel regretfully informed and Sam could only pout.

* * *

The following weeks in school were pretty quiet in comparison to the previous one and with the four of them taking turns with Brittany, things were going pretty smoothly. The most interesting thing that happened was that in Glee club practice Quinn and Sam volunteered to sing something which surprised both of their girlfriends and their sister.

"So Britt, we're singing this for you." Sam dedicated as he picked up a guitar and stood next to Quinn who was sat at the piano and they both start playing with some back up from the Glee band.

_Quinn_/**Sam**/Both

_You're not alone, together we stand_

_I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand_

_When it gets cold and it feels like the end_

_There's no place to go, you know I won't give in_

_No I won't give in _

As soon as Brittany realised the song she automatically felt tears in her eyes and by the time Quinn had finished the first verse they were streaming down her face. Both Rachel and Mercedes were beaming at the thoughtfulness of their other halves.

_Keep holdin' on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through  
We'll make it through  
Just, stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you  
I'm here for you_

There's nothing you can say

**(Nothin' you can say)**_  
Nothing you can do _**(Nothin' you can do)**_  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth_

So, keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through  
We'll make it through

Brittany had never felt so loved as she did when her brother and sister sang to her that they would make it through her pregnancy together. They sang it with such confidence that Brittany couldn't help but be swept away in the tide of good feeling as her brother started singing the second verse to her.

**So far away, I wish you were here  
Before it's too late, this could all disappear  
Before the doors close and it comes to an end  
With you by my side I will fight and defend  
I'll fight and defend, Yeah yeah**

Keep holdin' on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through  
We'll make it through  
Just, stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you  
I'm here for you

There's nothing you can say

_ (Nothin' you can say)_  
**Nothing you can do** _(Nothin' you can do)_  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So, keep holding on

'Cause you know we'll make it through  
We'll make it through

The silence when they finished performing lasted only for a second before everyone was on their feet clapping and Brittany made her way over into the waiting group hug. The tall blonde let all of her fears slip away for a moment in the warm and comforting embrace of her family and as she rested her head against Quinn's shoulder and felt Sam's strong arm around her waist she couldn't help but feel like she was finally home.

* * *

The day that Santana's suspension finished and the first morning that the Latina was back in school was surprisingly anti-climactic. Brittany didn't see her girlfriend, if they still were, all day and it was starting to upset her because if she was being honest with herself she had been looking forward to seeing Santana a lot more than she had let on.

Brittany had started to become so upset that she didn't notice that when her lesson finished there was nobody outside waiting to escort her and she found herself walking alone to her locker.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise! Its not everyday that a treat like this falls into a guys lap." A hockey player who the blonde could remember Santana calling Rick the dick, which was apparently some joke to do with his real nickname, stood smirking a few feet away from her. He was feeling exceptionally lucky that he had managed to get Brittany Evans on her own and now he was going to take advantage of it without her guard detail there to protect her.

Brittany did her best to ignore him in the hopes that he would get bored and leave but she was having no such luck. In her attempt to look nonchalant she started piling the books in her arms into the metal container in front of her but Rick moved forward swiftly and knocked them out of her hands. When she reached down to pick them up with a sigh she felt a hand grabbing at her ass and immediately spun away from the unwanted intrusion.

Brittany opened her mouth to shout at the boy but it wasn't her voice that started screaming, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

It was almost like a dream to Brittany who had been missing Santana so much. To be able to hear her voice and have her so close but not only that but to also have the girl she loved defending her honour. Brittany felt sure she must have fallen asleep in the history class she just came from and was now having some of her fantasies of the last few weeks brought to life.

Rick started stuttering as he took a look at the fiery and raging mass of Latina that was making her way towards him. Everyone knew to be afraid of Santana Lopez. The rumours of what she had done to people were whispered tales of warning in McKinley high school and he most certainly did not want to be on the receiving end of a creative punishment at her hands.

Before Santana had time to growl out a single word, Rick had already taken off running down the hallway and Santana stopped and looked incredibly pleased with herself. It only lasted for a moment until she realised that she was alone with Brittany and then her pleasure turned to discomfort and a little bit of anger.

"Santana I..." Whatever Brittany was going to say, and she wasn't really sure herself of what her next words would have been, was drowned out as steps thundered down the hallway and a sweaty looking Puck came running down the hallway towards the two girls.

"Britt I am so sorry I was late, I had gym class and Beiste wouldn't let us go until we had each done twenty push-ups but Jacob Ben Israel was in the class and he couldn't get past 4 so we had to wait. I didn't even stop to have a shower I just ran right here." When Puck had finished offering his explanation, Brittany quickly turned around to talk to Santana again but found that the brunette had gone whilst Brittany had been distracted by Puck.

It hurt the blonde to think that Santana was now somewhere in the school, probably very upset by seeing her and Puck together and there was nothing Brittany could do about it because Santana probably wanted to just get away from her. Brittany couldn't blame her for wanting that, especially after Brittany had cheated on her. All the blonde could do now was the honourable thing and try to cause Santana as little additional pain as possible.

With that in mind she tried to stay away from Puck as much as possible during school hours. She was also going to avoid the cafeteria at lunchtime but it turned out the her effort was in vain as Santana was nowhere to be seen when the meal time came around.

When she went home after school the next day her thoughts were consumed with black hair and brown eyes whilst she watched Sam and Quinn play video games. She had taken to spending almost all of her time with her siblings since they sang that song to her and they two older teenagers seemed to have no problem with it. They wanted to spend time with her as much as she wanted to be with them.

"Quinn can I ask you a favour?" Brittany asked and Quinn immediately paused her game and turned her full attention on her little sister as she nodded for the younger girl to continue.

"I was wondering if you would be able to drive me to Westerville next weekend?" Brittany said with some vulnerability evident in her face despite the fact that she tried to conceal it. She really needed Quinn to say yes.

"Of course I will Britt but how come?" Quinn asked gently.

"Its just that Santana will be on the bus and I'm not sure if I can be in such a small space with her and Puck for any period of time." Brittany explained to her feet as she was too ashamed to look up at her siblings. She was too ashamed of what she had done to Santana and she didn't want to torture the girl by having her see Brittany and Puck interacting. Of course they were both cheerleaders and would have to spend some time together that weekend but it would be with a lot of distractions, a lot of people around them and places to run away to. It wouldn't be as bad as an eight hour bus journey with the guy she had cheated on Santana with.

Quinn and Sam shared a look whilst Brittany burned a hole through her socks with her stare and came to a silent agreement. They both got up and sat on either side of Brittany on the sofa and started another group hug.

"We'll do anything for you Little B. It doesn't matter what you did you will always be our little sister and we will always love you." Sam whispered into Brittany's ear and they all felt and heard Brittany give out a huge sob.

It was the first time in a long time that Sam had called Brittany Little B mainly because it was a childhood nickname that had only really fit her when she was a short five year old and Sam and Quinn were taller than her. Then she had hit her growth spurt and was taller than both of them so it had seemed a little odd to carry on with the name but at the moment Brittany found it endearing.

Her tears of happiness became even bigger when she felt three sets of arms joining the huge group hug, all showing there love and support and once more showing the nosiness of two of the Berry family members.

"Hey Berry watch your hands." Quinn complained from somewhere in the middle of the mass of bodies.

"I'm not touching you Quinn." Rachel said drawing back from the hug with confusion, looking at the pink haired girl from across the hug.

Quinn looked back with suggestive eyes and said, "I wouldn't be complaining if it was _you_ touching me Rach but you are not the Berry in question."

Rachel looked accusingly at her fathers for manhandling her girlfriend as they all pulled away from the hug with some chuckles here and there. Leroy was looking particularly sorry as he withdrew and after a glare from the punky teenager that slept on his sofa he explained, "I thought it was Brittany's shoulder and I was patting it reassuringly."

"Well it wasn't a shoulder." Quinn stated causing everyone else to laugh.

"I think I have an idea of how he can make it up to you Quinn." Hiram started with a sneaky smile on his face that his husband knew usually meant bad news for him. "Why don't we have him pay for a hotel room for Rachel so that she can go on the road trip to Westerville with you next weekend?" Hiram suggested with a smile that said that they had already organised it all.

"That's so awesome guys, now we have Rachie coming too this is going to be the best road trip ever!" Brittany screamed as she tackle hugged the two men that were starting to become like fathers to the Evans triplets.

Quinn was about to join in on the happiness when Rachel started to whisper in her ear, "Hmm, you, me and a big hotel room paid for by my fathers for a whole weekend. It sounds like perfection." Rachel topped it all off with a little nip to Quinn's earlobe and it made the pink haired girl shudder as she thought of the many possibilities the following weekend could bring.

* * *

**A/N: So I just want to be clear that the poster thing with Mack is not the third big bad thing to happen to the triplets, it just kind of falls under the second thing of Brittany's pregnancy. **

**The next chapter will be the one where you find out exactly what is going to happen so you still have time to keep guessing.**

**Review, Review, Review...**


	15. A Shot In The Dark

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Fifteen

* * *

**A/N: So guys this is the penultimate chapter! Thank you to everyone who guessed at what the final twist would be and I will say that someone got it right. **

**I hope you enjoy...**

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_She felt like she was suffocating._

_A cold trickle of sweat dripped down her small back as she regretted her decision to ever come to this place. She always got so ahead of herself in trying to beat her siblings that she often found herself in frightening situations._

_In her excitement this time she had hid in a darkened cupboard and was now discovering for the first time in her short three years of life that she was afraid of the dark. Brittany had never had a reason to discover that fact before that day and that game of hide and seek as she had always shared her bedroom with the other two thirds of her whole._

_Despite the fact that this was a new revelation it was a debilitating revelation as the small blonde girl started breathing heavily and scrunched up her eyes. When that wasn't working she pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her head in them whilst trying to stop the inevitable tears from falling._

_Just at the moment when Brittany felt she was going to lose it and start crying or screaming or both a beam of light hit her face. The door of the cupboard opened and a tiny Sam was silhouetted against the outside light and Brittany automatically flung herself at her brother and clung onto him in pure relief._

"_Bwitt, what were you doing in there?" Sam asked as he held onto his sister as tightly as his small arms would allow._

"_I was really scared Sammy." Brittany sobbed into Sam's red power rangers t-shirt._

"_Its OK Bwitt, I won't let you go in the dark again." The blonde boy promised solemnly as he stared into watery, crystal blue eyes._

_There was no way in the mind of that little three year old boy that he would ever have to break his promise._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"RACHEL IF WE DON'T LEAVE RIGHT NOW WE WILL BE LATE AND I HAVE A TEAM DINNER AT 8 TONIGHT THAT I WILL NOT MISS!" Quinn shouted up the stairs in frustration as she impatiently waited for her girlfriend to finish whatever last minute thing she deemed necessary to hold them all up for.

"If she is not here in two minutes I swear that I am going to go up there, pick her up and carry her out to the car." Sam threatened to nobody in particular as he leaned against the wall near the front door.

"I'd help you." Quinn agreed conspiratorially as Sam grinned back. They were about to put their plan into action when Rachel came skipping down the stairs and to be honest, Quinn was a little disappointed that she had missed her chance to get all handsy with her girlfriend by carrying her out to the car.

As soon as her feet touched the floor, Rachel had dumped her bright pink bag into Sam's unsuspecting arms and passed over a small, hard pink container to Quinn.

"What's this?" Quinn asked curiously as she started to unzip the small case. Immediately her hands were batted away by Rachel.

"You can't open it yet Quinn, its our road trip CD collection and therefore you are not allowed to find out any of the songs until we are on the road." Rachel demanded but she looked so cute doing it that Quinn couldn't help but comply as they finally walked out to the car.

Brittany, Hiram and Leroy were stood next to the car chatting as they waited for the rest of the party to make an arrival and when the blonde saw them she started jumping up and down in excitement.

"This is going to be so awesome you guys! OK lets go, lets go, lets go." Brittany said as she jumped into her previously called shotgun position.

They said goodbye to Hiram and Leroy before they took off in Leroy's SUV. He had been nice enough to let them borrow it for this trip because it was a safer car and was also a lot more spacious. That and Hiram didn't want to let his Prius get too far away from him.

The quartet waved to the two men as they drove off and when the Berry house was safely out of sight, Brittany rolled down her window and screamed, "Road trip!"

* * *

"Quinn turn this car around right this instant." Rachel demanded as she attempted to execute a foot stomp whilst sat down.

"Rachel this is ridiculous..." Quinn started with exasperation clearly marking her features though the discussion had only been going on for a couple of minutes so far. Sam and Brittany just kept looking back and forth with mild interest, waiting to see who would crack first.

"It is not ridiculous Quinn it is a generous thing to do." Rachel corrected Quinn.

"You don't even know how to change a tyre Rachel so it will be me or Sam that ends up doing it and besides you would have been happy to just drive on past if that woman didn't look like Barbara Streisand." Quinn mentioned causing Rachel to pout and once again try to stomp her foot.

"If you don't turn this car around right now Quinn, you and I will not be sharing a bedroom in the hotel." Rachel threatened with a smirk, knowing that she had won. Almost as soon as the words had come out of Rachel's mouth, the pink haired girl had started to slow down the car.

Silently Quinn made a u-turn and started to drive back to the place where they had seen 'Barbara Streisand' broken down on the side of the road. A few seconds of silence passed where the sound of Rachel's grin was almost palpable before a loud whipping noise emanated from the back seat.

Quinn rolled her eyes and playfully muttered, "Don't start with me Evans."

The thing was that Quinn wasn't expecting sex or anything like that with Rachel that weekend but she was expecting that they would go further than they had before. If she was being really honest she would have also admitted that the idea of sharing a bed with the brunette and waking up with Rachel in her arms was something that she had been looking forward to ever since she found out that the youngest Berry was coming with them to Westerville.

When the car stopped next to the woman (who close up looked nothing like Barbara Streisand) she looked up in curiosity and there was a long awkward moment when none of them moved to get out of the car.

"Well come on then Quinnie, you know I can't change a tyre. You said it yourself that you and Sam would do it." She could tell that Rachel was having fun trying to punish her for not immediately acceding to the brunette's demands so Quinn and her brother only grumbled lightly as they got out of the SUV.

"Hey there! We wondered if we could give you a hand with that tyre?" Sam called out with a friendly smile as soon as they got within a reasonable distance.

The woman who looked to be only a few years older than them returned the smile but aimed it mostly at Quinn despite the fact that Sam was talking.

"I would absolutely love some help from two strong looking people such as yourselves." The woman answered with a flirty smile and she reached out to stroke Quinn's biceps to illustrate her point.

The sound of someone clearing their throat pointedly sounded from across the few metres that separated the two cars and Quinn grinned. She decided it was time to have a little fun with Rachel for making her pull over to help the woman and there was nothing wrong with a little harmless flirting in the pink haired girl's mind.

"Well my name is Quinn and this is my brother Sam, do you have a spare tyre anywhere in the car?" Quinn asked taking a step closer to the Streisand look-a-like.

"I'm Barbara and I have no clue if there is a tyre." Barbara answered with a pout that was not unlike Rachel's and the brunette used it as an opportunity to shake Quinn's hand but didn't bother with shaking Sam's. Quinn was fleetingly curious as to why such a young woman had an older person type of name before she pulled away and her and Sam walked over to the car to search for the tyre.

They found a tyre under the base of the boot and pulled it free before setting to work with Quinn crouching down to fit the Jack in place.

"That looks really difficult, you must be really good with your hands." Barbara stated with a suggestive tone as she bent over with her breasts right in Quinn's face and as the woman was only wearing a very skimpy tank top, the punk really was getting a face full.

Suddenly Barbara fell violently into the car door and Quinn looked up to see Rachel stood where the other brunette had previously been with an unamused expression on her face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I was just walking over here to see if I could lend _my girlfriend_ a hand and I tripped and fell into you." Rachel, for all her acting lessons, failed spectacularly in her attempt to convey sincerity and she sounded very fake and frustrated as she put a possessive hand on Quinn's shoulder.

Barbara looked completely unconvinced with Rachel's sincerity as well but plastered on a fake smile as she came toe-to-toe with the shorter girl and replied, "Its OK sweetie, I was just telling Quinn that she must be very good with her hands and that I would love to find out what other things her hands might be good at."

The tension was getting really high between the two women and Quinn was sure that she actually could actually hear Rachel grinding her teeth. Quinn was still kneeling on the floor in shock and Sam was stood by the back of the car, frozen in his attempts to roll the tyre towards Quinn. Both of the siblings were wondering when the situation had escalated so quickly and Brittany's quiet giggles could be heard slipping out of the open window of the SUV.

"Its a shame you will _never_ find out...sweetie." Rachel retorted and Quinn started to glaze over a little at the implication that Rachel might one day find out about what Quinn's hands could do.

"Who is going to stop me?" Barbara questioned with a smirk.

The pink haired girl was pulled out of her day dream when Rachel started to turn red and opened her mouth again. Quinn quickly stood up to stop the argument before it lead into something serious and put her arm comfortingly around Rachel's shoulders but faced Barbara as she said, "I am!"

Barbara looked at her with shock whilst Rachel just looked smug and Quinn continued, "I'm sorry but I'm not interested. I love my girlfriend." It was simple but it was effective and Barbara stormed away over to where Sam was with another flirty smile on her face.

Sam looked scared to death and his mind automatically went to his girlfriend so he blurted out, "Mercedes!" in a weird, high pitched voice as he started rolling the tyre to Quinn in an attempt to get the job done faster.

Barbara was starting to look fairly frustrated and said in reply, "Its a Ford actually."

* * *

"OK seriously we have been on the road for three hours and that is as long as my patience will last with this music Rach!" Sam complained as Rachel handed the soundtrack to West Side Story from her pink road trip music case to Brittany to put into the CD player.

"What's wrong with my music choices Samuel?" Rachel asked looking slightly offended.

"Its all been musicals Rach and you know I don't mind them but not three hours worth of them." Sam explained.

"It hasn't all been musicals." Rachel stated fairly as Brittany held the CD in her hand, unsure of whether to play it or not.

"A Katy Perry CD does not count as better than one of your musicals." Sam rebutted and Rachel turned her doe eyes on Quinn via the rear view mirror to settle the issue.

Quinn opened her mouth but she wasn't really sure what to say. She agreed with Sam that the musicals were getting boring by this stage but Rachel hadn't been having the greatest trip so far what with getting into a shouting match with a random stranger on the side of the road and Quinn kind of wanted to make it better by letting her have her music.

Before she could actually say anything however, Brittany shouted out, "Oh my gosh, WAFFLES! Pull over Quinn I'm getting a craving."

Quinn was forced to make a very illegal u-turn to not miss the little diner on the side of the road that Brittany had spotted and was grateful that no cars had been coming in the opposite direction or all of them would have been looking like waffles.

"Brittany you can't be serious about eating here?" Quinn asked once they had parked up and had a good look at the place which was named 'The Waffle Shack'. It was a dirty shabby house with warped floorboards and cracked windows where the bottom floor had been converted into a diner that a couple of huge truckers were currently sitting in.

"Quinnie when I get a craving it has to be satisfied or its bad for the baby." Brittany responded very cleverly and there was no way Quinn could argue with that.

Quinn motioned Sam forward to walk in first with her and she whispered, "Think we could take those two guys if needs be?"

Sam eyed them up and simply responded, "Lets hope it doesn't come to that." Quinn did not take that as a good sign.

They got a booth on the opposite side of the diner from the truckers to be safe but the burly men seemed to take no notice of them and soon an old man in a dirty apron came over to take their orders.

"What can I get for you folks?" The man asked kindly with a smile that showed that he no longer possessed all of his teeth.

"Can I get the Belgian waffles and the blueberry waffles...oh and one with strawberries and whipped cream!" Brittany order with excitement, making the man grin as he wrote it all down.

"Do you have any vegan options?" Rachel asked and the smile slid from the man's face to be replaced with a look of confusion.

"What's vegan?" he asked as he scratched his head.

Rachel looked like she was about to burst out into a lecture on animal rights so Quinn quickly cut in, "She just wants to know if you make any of the waffles without eggs."

"That's not really a waffle if you don't put egg into it." The diner owner said slowly, his confusion still clear in his face as he looked between Quinn and Rachel.

"Um OK then, do you sell anything other than waffles?" Quinn asked trying to remove the pout that was quickly forming on Rachel's lips.

"This place is called 'The Waffle Shack', the clue is in the title. We only sell waffles." The man was fast looking tired out by his four new customers and Quinn felt bad.

"I'll take the Belgian waffles too." She ordered and the man looked a little less confused as he was back on familiar ground.

"I'll have the same order as Britt." Sam said, pointing to the sister in question so the man knew which order he wanted. The white haired man hesitantly looked over to Rachel to see if she was going to order and she simply asked for a water causing the owner to scurry off with relief.

He didn't say much as he came back with their orders but a moment after he had left a portly women who could only be his wife, came bustling out of the kitchen with a banana and an apple in her hands.

She stopped in front of Rachel who was the only one with no food in front of her and placed the fruit down on the table.

With a kind smile she said, "I know what a vegan is and I'm sorry that we can't do anything better for you but hopefully this will make you less hungry." The old woman seemed very motherly and Rachel couldn't help but respond as she returned the smile and thanked her profusely.

It lifted their mood considerably to be fed and Rachel's mood got even better when she went to pay on the way out and the Owner's wife said that she could have the two pieces of fruit for free because her friends had bought so many waffles.

Once they were back on the road Rachel even let Sam put the radio on rather than going by her meticulous road trip music plan. It was worth it when Quinn smiled proudly at her through the rear view mirror.

* * *

By the time they actually made it to Westerville they were all hungry again but they had made good time and were actually there about an hour earlier than the rest of the students were due to arrive. They checked in and that was when they found out that it had been organised for Brittany to share a room with Santana. The blonde was upset already even at the prospect so Quinn quickly came up with a solution and traded key cards with Brittany.

"As long as you are cool sharing a room with Zizes then you can have my room Britt." Quinn said with a smile and received a hug in response. Quinn was planning to sleep in Rachel's room anyway so it didn't really bother her.

After that they took their stuff to their rooms and then all gathered for a pre-dinner snack, something which Brittany was very keen to participate in. This was mainly due to the fact that she would have to stick to the Cheerio's crazy diet scheme when her Coach arrived which wasn't good for the baby so she was going to have to sneak her meals around Coach Ryerson.

By the time they got to the dining room of the hotel it looked as though all of the other wrestling teams had already arrived and were sitting down for their team meals. Rachel was quickly scanning through the heads of the team sat at the far end of the room who were mostly wearing the royal blue colour of all Westerville High School teams.

"What are you looking for Rae?" Brittany asked at the same time as she was intently scanning the menu. Nobody could say that Brittany Pierce wasn't a multi-tasker.

"Oh I was just looking to see if I could spot Kurt's new boyfriend. He goes to Westerville and he is on the wrestling team. As Kurt isn't going to be here to point him out I was trying to spot him based on all the photos that Kurt showed me." Rachel explained as her hunger seemed to get the better of her and she stopped her scanning temporarily in order to peruse the menu.

They had ordered and finished eating by the time the first students from McKinley high had started wandering into the dining hall with Lauren Zizes, the McKinley Captain, being the first one. Surprisingly however she did not go to a table but came directly over to Quinn and without looking at the pink haired girl she commanded, "Follow me Fabray."

Quinn didn't have to think twice before saying goodbye to her brother, sister and girlfriend and following her Captain out into a quiet corner of the lobby.

"What's up Captain?" Quinn asked seriously.

"I've seen the competition rota for tomorrow Fabray and I wanted to speak to you before Coach puts the idea in your head that the matches will be a breeze." Lauren started, looking around as she spoke to make sure that Sue didn't suddenly appear behind her.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked unsurely.

"I mean you are up against some tough bitches and I don't want you to get too self-assured for tomorrow because you are going to need to be at your peak to beat the girls you are up against." Lauren clarified and Quinn understood and felt a surge of dread. She wasn't the greatest wrestler yet. Sure she had been given a lot of training by Lauren and Sue and she was already above the standard of the boys team but she wasn't sure that she was up to the standard of a National Championship winning team.

Seeing the worry on the smaller girl's face, Lauren rolled her eyes and then said, "I've taught you well Fabray so you should be fine as long as you don't get complacent." Quinn nodded and took the warning on board as Lauren led them back into the dining room where most of the team were now gathered.

Quinn shot Rachel and her siblings a reassuring smile as she walked over to her team and took a seat next to Mike who fist bumped her as soon as he saw her.

"What's wrong?" Mike whispered in concern.

"Nothing." Quinn dismissed easily as Sue rose from her seat and commanded the attention of all of the McKinley High wrestlers. Mike didn't say anything more on the subject as Sue went through the agenda for the following day and most of the hungry teenagers tuned out.

When Sue was finished speaking she hurried them through their meal and then in no uncertain terms said, "I expect all of you to go straight to your rooms and straight to sleep so that you can be fully prepared for tomorrow. If I see one set of puffy tired eyes the owner of said eyes will be on laundry duty for the rest of their high school career!"

With the threat ringing fresh in everyone's ears there was a great scraping of chairs as the group of teenagers hurried to accede to the Coach's demands.

All except for one wrestler who went straight to a room but it wasn't her own. Quinn knocked on the door in a pattern she thought of as her 'spy knock' and Rachel opened the door with a raised eyebrow. Quinn just shrugged her shoulders with a grin before gently pushing the brunette back into the hotel room.

* * *

There was a study hum of excitement in the gym when Quinn made her way out of the changing rooms the following morning. Lauren walked out behind her and tried to give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder which ended up with Quinn nearly doing a face plant into the wooden floor. She tried to play it cool but Sam had clearly saw and she could hear his laughter even from across the room.

As the football match wasn't until later that afternoon, Sam, Rachel and Brittany had come to watch Quinn's match and to cheer her on. The pink haired girl had yet to decide if that was a good thing or not as she wasn't sure that she wanted Rachel to see her lose.

Thinking about Rachel, Quinn glanced over to the bleachers and caught the eyes of the brunette causing them both to promptly blush. As Quinn had predicted, when they had shared a bed the previous night they hadn't had sex but they had gotten a lot further than they had before and now every time they looked at each other they could help but have, as Brittany would say, 'sexy thoughts'.

The memories of the previous night and waking up wrapped around the brunette the following morning were really starting to distract Quinn so she shook her head and focused on her impending matches.

When she finally spotted her opponent she nearly walked right back out of the gym because she was sure that there was no way the girl was in her weight range. In terms of height and build they were about evenly matched but the girl was so tightly muscled all over that Quinn was getting quite worried.

Just before Quinn was about to step out onto the mat, Lauren came over and murmured, "Its brain not brawn. Out-think her." Quinn nodded and repeated the words over in her head as she scoured her opponent for weaknesses and it didn't take long to find one.

The punk realised just how right Lauren had been when she said that Quinn would be fine. Quinn had failed to realise the high level of skill that Sue taught to each of her wrestlers and even with only two months of training under her belt, Quinn was already more skilled than the Westerville opponent who was stood opposite her. It meant that Quinn, though less muscled, was able to beat the girl using her skill.

When Quinn took the blue jersey clad girl to the mat for the final time and her win was declared, her 3 spectators that were sat in the bleachers came running over to congratulate her. Even Lauren gave her a wry smile and another pat on the back.

After a couple of hours Sam and Brittany had to leave to get ready for the game and Rachel went with them because as much as she loved watching Quinn get down and dirty, the gym really smelled bad and she needed some fresh air. Once the McKinley girl's team were declared the winners, Quinn and her fellow team mates celebrated all the way to the changing rooms. The pink haired girl got showered and changed straight away because as much as she would have loved to party the night away with her team and console Mike for his team's fourth place finish, she needed to get out to the bleacher's before the football game started.

The hallways of the school were silent as Quinn made her way through them after she had escaped from the wrestling team's raucous celebrations. It was the silence that made the painful sounding sobs she heard even more prominent. Unable to hear those noises and not do something about it, Quinn found herself following the sounds until she was stood outside the door to the Nurse's office.

She only hesitated a moment before pushing the door open to see a boy dressed in a Westerville wrestling uniform and gelled back black hair, crying in the corner. The creak of the door opening alerted the boy and his head immediately shot up as he hurried to wipe away his tears.

Quinn had never been good with comforting crying people but she wasn't heartless and she didn't want to leave the boy alone and crying. She sat down on the floor next to him and stared at the opposite wall then waited for a few seconds and said, "I know your team isn't that awesome but there's no shame in being second to McKinley." She made sure that there was a kind smile plastered on her face so that he could tell that she was only joking and he let out a watery chuckle.

After a few moments of silence the boy asked, "What are you doing in here?"

"I heard some noises and I wanted to come help whoever was in here." Quinn stated honestly, "Why are you crying?"

At first it looked as if the boy wasn't going to say anything then he said, "I'm being forced to do something that I don't really want to do." His voice was getting thick as if he was about to start crying again.

"Don't do it then. If it makes you this upset find a way to avoid it." Quinn advised as she turned to meet watery brown eyes.

"I don't have a choice." The black haired boy muttered quietly and Quinn stood and helped him stand as well before she responded.

"You always have a choice Blaine. Its your life, don't let others live it for you."

Blaine's eyes widened in shock and he asked, "How do you know my name?"

Quinn grinned slightly and tapped the captains badge sown onto his uniform, "Always know your enemy Captain. Our Coach drilled the names of the opposition Captains into our minds before she even taught us any techniques."

Blaine grinned knowing full well that Coach Sylvester was crazy even though he had never actually met her. "Well that puts me at a disadvantage because I don't know your name." Blaine said as they made their way to the door. Blaine was feeling a lot better now and had to get back to his team and Quinn didn't want to keep her siblings or Rachel waiting for too long.

"I'm Quinn Fabray and I hope to see you around again soon Mr Anderson." Quinn replied and they both smiled at each other before the pink haired girl walked away with a quick wave. Blaine returned the wave but as soon as Quinn turned the corner his hand dropped and his smile faded as he realised that the girl who he had just befriended was the one whose world he was about to help to destroy.

He ran back into the office and threw up in the sink.

* * *

The bleachers were almost completely full by the time Quinn made her way outside and she realised that she must have spent more time comforting Blaine than she thought she had. Despite the crowd, Quinn's eyes were immediately drawn to Rachel where the little brunette was sat already cheering in the front row.

As the diva was so distracted, Quinn was able to sneak up behind her and cover her eyes without Rachel spotting her. "Guess who?" Quinn whispered in her ear.

"Well it can't be Quinn because she would never leave me waiting for so long and then do something so cliché in an attempt to make up for it." Rachel stated whilst a smile formed on her lips.

"Don't pretend you don't love a good cliché." Quinn argued back as she pecked at Rachel's cheek and sat down next to her.

"There is a certain appeal, I will admit." Rachel admitted with a grin as she linked her hand with Quinn's and leaned into the taller girl. Enjoying the moment, Quinn took the opportunity to look out onto the field to try and spot her siblings but the only person that she could spot on the field was Santana.

A brief flicker of panic ignited within her and Rachel must have felt her stiffen because she asked, "What's wrong Quinn?"

"Where are Sam and Brittany? And Finn?" She tacked on Finn's name as an afterthought and tried not to let her escalating fear show on her face.

"I haven't seen them since they went into the changing rooms to get ready for the game but...that was a while ago now." Rachel replied letting her eyes quickly scan the field.

"Was Finn with them?" Quinn asked seriously.

"No but Sebastian and his friend Blaine was with them, we met them on our way over here." Rachel stated nonchalantly but Quinn froze in ice cold fear.

"Sebastian?" Her voice quivered a little and Rachel noticed with some worry.

"Yeah Sebastian Smythe, Kurt's boyfriend and his best friend Blaine Anderson, they..."

Quinn didn't wait to hear any more. She tore away from the bleachers and found herself running down onto the field not quite sure what to do but knowing that she needed to do something. Sprinting frantically, Quinn ran head first into someone and was grateful to see that it was Santana.

"Quinn what the..." Santana stopped when she saw the look in Quinn's eyes.

"Brittany, Sam they..." Rachel caught up with her girlfriend at that moment.

"Quinn what is going on?" Rachel questioned.

"Sebastian...he-he hates me...he'll hurt them...he'll kill them..." Quinn's words were disjointed and hard to make out over the shouting and cheering of the stadium but the two brunette's picked up enough to suddenly share the pink haired girl's panic.

Suddenly Quinn stopped and her faced cleared itself of all emotion as clarity overcame her. A wry smile spread across her lips and then she was speed walking back towards the main building of the school with two anxious brunettes in tow.

"You can't come with me, its too dangerous." Quinn stated with a calmness that defied the situation.

"Why is it dangerous? Who is Sebastian and what is he going to do?" Santana asked with anger in her voice at not understanding what was happening with the girl she loved. Any feelings of anger and betrayal that she had felt at what Brittany had done were being completely overridden by the possibility that Santana could truly lose her.

When they arrived at the large, glass main doors which showed the inside of the darkened school, Quinn quickly spun around.

"Sebastian killed my best friend, murdered him in front of my eyes. He blames me for Dave's death because it should have been me that was shot. Dave jumped in front of me." Quinn explained as clearly as she could and she was proud of herself for managing to say what she hadn't been able to in the past. It was a complex story and Santana and Rachel were understandably taking a little time to digest it.

Whilst they were distracted Quinn dived into the building, slammed the doors closed behind her and promptly locked them. Santana and Rachel weren't quick enough and were left to pound on the sheets of glass separating them and Quinn.

"Quinn don't do this, if he is dangerous then we need to call the Police!" Rachel reasoned.

"Let me come with you Fabray!" Santana screamed at the same time but Quinn couldn't concede to either of their wishes. She didn't know how long her brother and sister would have if she didn't go straight to them. Sebastian was not patient and if he didn't get wanted he wanted (which was her) then there was no telling what he might do.

"I'm sorry Rach but I'm doing what I should have done three months ago. I'm going to save them like I should have saved Dave. No matter what." Quinn explained as she held her palm up against the glass and Rachel matched the movement. "I love you." Quinn murmured but before Rachel had a chance to respond, the pink haired girl was gone.

* * *

The only thing that either of them could hear was the sound of Brittany's gentle sobs and a quiet murmuring coming from nearby. Blindfolds were securely placed over both Sam and Brittany's eyes so they could see nothing and Sam knew very well that the darkness was the reason Brittany was crying.

A long time ago he had made her a promise and it was breaking is heart that he was currently failing to stay true to that promise. He felt so helpless especially as he tried and failed to hear what their captors were saying.

Sam instead tried to recall what had happened before they had been tied up but almost everything that had happened that day felt like it was covered by a hazy curtain that Sam could not pull apart. A dull throb in a certain part of his head told him that he had probably been knocked out and it was the blow that was affecting his memory though he tried not to let that worry him too much at the moment.

As his memory attempt was of no use, Sam instead started pushing against the chair he was currently tied to and although the ropes didn't budge his chair inched in the direction of Brittany's cries. After several halted movements Sam finally felt his shoulder rub against what he assumed was Brittany's shoulder and her sobs got louder for a second until Sam whispered, "Its OK Britt, its just me."

Brittany calmed down considerably at the sound of her brother's voice and Sam felt relieved because at least it meant a little bit less stress for the baby. "Britt, I'm so sorry that you are in the dark but I need you to brave and we need to listen to what the men are saying." Sam directed and Brittany nodded then realised that Sam couldn't see the action and whispered her agreement.

Without Brittany's sobs filling the air everything was eerily silent and the voices became clearer.

"...to be another way." Someone said but that was all the conversation that they got to hear before footsteps started coming towards them. The sound of Brittany not crying any more had attracted the attention of the captors and they came to see what was happening.

"Trying to escape they were, pushed their chairs together." A deep voice, different from the previous one said. It sounded familiar to Sam and from Brittany's gasp his sister clearly recognised it as well but with his mind so muddled he couldn't place the voice to a name or face. All he could feel was anger with himself for not thinking of trying to escape when he pushed his chair over to Brittany. He could have untied her hands and then she could have done the same for him.

"Well tie them to opposite ends of the piano." A third voice filled the room but Sam was sure that he didn't recognise this voice or at least not as well as the previous one.

There was a bustle of movement as someone carried out the order that was just given and Sam felt himself start to lose hope as the voices faded and Brittany's sobs started up again.

* * *

Quinn didn't have time to decide where in the school to start her search before she heard Sebastian's irritating voice crackle over the school's speaker system and she felt a shiver race up her spine.

"Let's repeat history Quinn."

The clue was clear and Quinn made her way to the auditorium. They had been in the auditorium of their old school when Dave had been killed and Quinn could appreciate that it was oddly fitting for it to be the place that she died as well.

She didn't want to die but she could see no other option as she couldn't see a way that Sebastian would let her go once he had her. All she could hope was that he only wanted to hurt her and that he would let Sam and Brittany go and just kill her. It was naïve and she knew that but what else could she do? Call the Police and let it turn into a hostage situation where Sebastian would no doubt kill her family and then himself? She wasn't go to do that and this was her only other option.

Quinn did have a plan though and she made a quick stop to the home education department of the school before making her way to where her family was waiting for her.

Outside the large black doors of the auditorium Quinn waited for a second so that she could take a deep breathe and then she slowly and silently slid into the darkened cavern of the Westerville High auditorium.

* * *

"Santana we have to do something, we can't just leave her in there to face him alone!" Rachel practically screamed into her counterparts face. Her worry was getting out of control and she was pacing in front of the cheerleader in agitation.

"We aren't just going to leave her Rachel we just need to find another way in." Santana stated with some semblance of calm and Rachel nodded vigorously in agreement. They decided not to split up but made a loop around the school checking all of the doors but finding them locked. At one point Santana even tried to kick one of the locked doors down but ended up quite seriously hurting her foot and leg and was now limping.

After they had completed one whole loop, Rachel began to get panicky again and this time Santana had no comforting words to offer. It felt as if a lot of time had passed since Quinn left them and they were no longer sure that if they did get in they would actually find her before anything happened.

"I think I can help you." A masculine voice sounded from behind the duo and they span around to see Blaine looking at them nervously.

"Who the hell are you?" Santana asked brashly.

"I'm the guy who knows another way into the school."

* * *

The first thing she saw was her brother and sister, tied to chairs that were tied to a piano in the centre of the stage. Brittany's sobs were clearly sounding through the still air and Quinn felt them rip at her heart.

"It was stupid of you to come Quinn." The voice floated bodiless around the mostly empty room but Quinn knew all too well that it belonged to Sebastian. She also knew that what he was saying was right. It was stupid to come but love makes you do stupid things and Quinn was determined that she was not going to leave her family again. She would be there for them this time, the time when it really mattered.

"I suppose that you know it was your fault...what happened to Dave rests all on your shoulders and you wanted to be punished for it." The grin was clear in his voice and despite Quinn's desire to stay silent in the face of his provocation she felt her anger get the better of her.

"Don't talk about him, don't say his name. You don't have the right!" Quinn shouted in no particular direction as she wasn't sure where Sebastian was.

That was her fatal mistake as it gave away her own position in the dark and within a few seconds she felt a set of strong arms wrap themselves around her own and a leg wrapping around one of her own. She was completely immobilized in a moment with her only free limb being one leg and that was the leg that was holding her up.

A scent suddenly hit her noise and she recognised immediately as the awful body spray that Finn doused himself in. She was sure that other guys wore it as well but a glance out of the corner of her eye told her that it was Finn that was holding on to her. The punk struggled for a few moments but Finn was unyielding and suddenly Sebastian was strutting out onto the stage in front of them.

He stopped halfway between Sam and Brittany and held out his arms dramatically before calling out, "Welcome to the show!"

Quinn's eyes widened as her mind was assaulted with all of the bad implications that those few words could have. Sebastian smiled as, even through the darkness, he saw the look of horror spread across Quinn's face.

"Smart girl Quinnie, you guessed it. They're going to pay for what you did and you get to watch." He started moving towards Brittany whose sobs had subsided somewhat and Quinn once again tried to struggle against Finn's hold in desperation.

Finn was clearly getting tired of her attempts and squeezed his arms together around Quinn's chest. Quinn tried not to let the pain show but when a clearly audible snap sounded from her ribs she couldn't help but let out an anguished cry. Finn stopped squeezing when he heard the sound and from the gentle rumble of his chest behind her, she could tell that he was laughing at the pain he had inflicted.

"Now, now Finn lets not get to excited. There is a lot to see before we get to the Quinn portion of my show." Sebastian said with a smirk that made Quinn's skin crawl.

After saying that the brunette boy on stage stood next to Brittany and stroked her hair a few times causing her to cringe. Once pleased with the reaction, he bent over, exposing a glimmer of something metal tucked into his belt and whispered in her ear however his words were loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Are you ready to die Brittany?"

Brittany let out another sob and Sam suddenly shouted, "Leave her alone!"

Sebastian looked pleased with the response and practically ran over to the blonde boy. "Oh don't worry Sam we will have plenty of time to have some fun after the girl is out of the way." As he spoke, he trailed a finger up the inside seam of Sam's jeans, making it crystal clear the kind of fun he was talking about.

Sam gulped uncomfortably but resolutely didn't flinch despite the fact that Sebastian copped a good feel before leaving him alone again.

Quinn tried to physically get Finn to let her go but it wouldn't help anyone if Finn broke another rib so instead she tried the verbal approach.

"You know Finn, I said that if you came near my family again your little secret would get out." Quinn said lightly and it caused Sebastian to whip around with an evil gleam in his eye at the same time as it caused Finn to stiffen.

"A secret?" Sebastian questioned. "Tell me." He demanded.

Finn was about to protest but he clearly understood the chain of command and evidently what Sebastian wanted, Sebastian got.

"His secret goes by the name of Brody Weston...his co-star." Quinn started. Sebastian was clearly intrigued and so Quinn carried on in an attempt to buy some time. "They starred in a shabby series of gay porno movies."

"How is that possible? He's only a junior in high school you would have to be at least 18 to do that surely?" Sebastian asked not yet believing her.

"You're right, he is a Junior but its not the first time he has been a Junior. He twenty years old and this is the third time he has attempted to complete this year of high school." Quinn explained with a chuckle that Sebastian joined in on.

A low growl was the only warning Quinn got before Finn leaned forward and moved the leg that was wrapped around Quinn's suddenly forward causing her leg to snap.

Her scream of pain was unbearable to hear and was achingly loud in the previous silence of the large room. Sam started shuffling violently in his chair again but this time to no avail whilst Brittany went deathly pale and both Sebastian and Finn simply laughed. Nobody in the room had any doubt that those two boys were anything less than psychopaths at this point.

"Now, now Finn I know you don't like her but have some patience." Sebastian scolded lightly but there was a proud grin on his face that Finn returned. Sebastian opened his mouth to carry on speaking however a large crash sounded in the distance and he froze.

Indecision flitted across his face for a few moments as he remembered the last time that they had been in a situation such as this and how Dave had interrupted him back then. He didn't want to be interrupted again and so he nodded then withdrew the gun from his belt and held it in front of him lovingly.

"Here is where I prove that I really am a nice person Quinn." The punk fought to maintain consciousness as the pain from her broken leg and rib blurred her brain. It had gotten to a point where she was no longer holding herself up and her weight was being entirely supported by Finn.

"I'm going to let one of them live...and you get to choose which one." Silence. When he dropped the bombshell Quinn had no idea what to say. Her mind cleared a bit at his words and she was about to demand that he just kill her when Sam spoke instead.

"Kill me. Leave Brittany alone just...kill me instead." His voice was so steady, so sure, as if he knew all along that this would happen and that he had already resigned himself to his fate.

"Sammy no!" Brittany called out.

"Shut up!" Sebastian bellowed so loudly it even made the catwalk above the stage start to creak. Quinn was so delirious she thought his voice had even dislodged some fittings as she spotted faint movement up there but she realised that it wasn't possible. "It is Quinn's decision." He finished gleefully.

"Its my fault." Quinn started, honestly feeling like her words were true and hoping that Sebastian would see that. "He's dead because of me so just kill me. They're innocent but I've been living on borrowed time for three months now." Those were the words Quinn was trying to say however she was aware that she garbled quite a lot of the speech due to pain but it was clear that everyone understood what she was trying to get across.

Sebastian appeared as if he were about to acquiesce to her request and as Quinn started to accept that she was about to die her brain provided her with what she wanted as her last sight. It looked like Rachel was looking down at her from the cat walk with a big frown on her face. Quinn started to frown as well because of that as she didn't want the last thing she saw to be her angel looking unhappy because of her.

Sebastian had started talking again so she tried to pay attention but it was all becoming mush as blackness started fading in around the edges of her vision. She spotted Sebastian raising his gun and decided it was time to go with her last resort.

Her hand dipped into her pocket and she pulled out the short knife that she had picked up in the home education department. She didn't wait for anything mainly because she wasn't sure what was going on any more and she was fairly sure that everything was about to go black for her. Quinn flipped the knife over in her hand as best she could with the restrictive arms crushing her and then, taking Finn by surprise, she plunged it into his side.

The knife made contact.

A gunshot erupted.

People started screaming and just at the moment when blackness overtook Quinn, multiple bodies hit the floor...

* * *

**A/N: You probably hate me for leaving it there but you know what they say...always leave them wanting more!**


	16. Happily Ever After

Broken Promises

Pairings: Faberry, Brittana and Samcedes

Chapter Sixteen

* * *

**A/N: Warning: Character Death. **

**Here is the last chapter, just something short to finish everything off. Hope you enjoy...**

* * *

The sun was shining weakly down onto the freshly cut grass as spring slowly merged into summer. There was an abundance of the distinctive kind of peace that can only be found in graveyards as the blonde girl made her way to stand in front of the gravestone bearing a name that was so very familiar to her.

She decided that she didn't want to sit down as she imparted her news to the slab of rock so she stood stationary at the edge of the now fully grown grass.

"I have some good news and I just thought that you would want to know since...well...you know...he did this to you." The blonde girl gestured vaguely to the ground and let out a huge sigh before deciding that she would sit down as she told the story.

"Well it all started three months ago in Westerville..."

_FLASHBACK_

_Quinn flipped the knife over in her hand as best she could with the restrictive arms crushing her and then, taking Finn by surprise, she plunged it into his side._

_At the same time as the knife made contact, a gunshot erupted and multiple voices started screaming just as blackness overtook Quinn and multiple bodies hit the floor._

_When Quinn and Finn fell to the floor, Sebastian had much the same reaction as he had after he had shot Dave and he dropped his gun and tried to run. This time however a body rammed hard into his side, taking them both to the floor._

_Sam pinned down Sebastian and tried to resist the urge to start pummelling the boy as he watched Santana running over to untie Brittany and Rachel running to Quinn. Blaine was making his way over to help him hold down Sebastian after having untied the blonde boy._

_All that was visible of Quinn was a tuft of pink hair in a rapidly widening pool of blood with the giant form of Finn Hudson on top of her. Rachel let out a small whimper as she got close to the two people on the floor, clearing seeing something that wasn't visible from the stage and then attempted to heave Finn's massive dead weight off her girlfriend._

_She couldn't manage it, not even close, but noticing her problem, Santana and Blaine quickly made their way off the stage and together the three of them managed to free Quinn's prone form._

_Rachel threw herself into the pool of blood without a second thought and with considerably more ease she turned Quinn over to inspect the damage. She, and everyone in the room, expected to see a gaping gunshot wound in her chest where Sebastian had been aiming but there was nothing._

_Three sets of eyes snapped to Finn's body to see it covered in blood and there was a wound both in his chest and his side. He was deathly white and still and Blaine was the first to pick up the courage to confirm what they were all wondering. _

_He let the blood soak into his shoes as he rested two fingers against a cold neck and then made the pronouncement that simultaneously made their minds soar and their stomachs drop._

"_He's dead..." _

_END OF FLASHBACK_

"Do you remember when you asked me if I believed in fate?" Dave couldn't answer so Quinn carried on talking to his grave. "After what happened that day, I think I do now."

"What were the chances that I would stab Finn at just the right time that the bullet missed me and hit him. Call it fate, destiny, karma or maybe even God but things like that just don't happen in life without an intervening hand." Quinn let herself stare up into the sky for a few moments whilst she contemplated just who or what had stepped in to save her life.

"After a while the Police came and took Sebastian and an ambulance came and took us all to the hospital because they thought that some of the others might have been suffering from shock. In Finn's case however there was no point. Blaine had been right. Sebastian had shot him in the heart and had killed him." Quinn tried so hard to feel remorse for the man's life that had been cut short but she couldn't. Her family was safer now that he wasn't around to terrorize them and although she wouldn't have wished for him to die neither could she conjure up the necessary remorse.

"For a little while everyone was afraid that I might be the one charged with Finn's death because I stabbed him." Quinn then admitted quietly into the balmy air.

_FLASHBACK_

_The hospital was crowded and unfamiliar when Quinn woke up about eight hours after arriving but the crowd was made up of the people she loved and so she fought down any claustrophobia she might have felt._

_As soon as her eyes opened she immediately found herself with her arms full of a tiny crying brunette and everyone else stopped talking to look over at her. _

"_I was so worried, I thought you weren't going to wake up and everyone told me it was stupid to think that but I was still so scared!" Quinn ran her fingers through the brunette locks spread across her chest and closed her eyes, letting her movements soothe the both of them. That was until Rachel pressed her cheek a little further down onto Quinn's chest and the pink haired girl found herself gasping at the hot lancet of pain that shot through her._

_Rachel automatically withdrew herself and looked appalled at what she had done. Quinn glanced down and asked, "What the hell is wrong with my..." She was slowly becoming aware of pain in her chest, wrist and leg and so just gestured to her body with her good hand rather than finish her question._

_Sam, Brittany, Rachel, Hiram and Leroy all looked around at each other as if they were deciding who should be the one to fill her in. Eventually, with an intimidating glare from both his husband and daughter, Leroy spoke up._

"_Well Quinn, your right leg is broken and they have already set it for you whilst you were asleep. You have also broken two ribs, one on each side from where Finn's arms were around you and finally you have a sprained wrist from the awkward landing you had." His voice was so clinical but it was obvious that he was trying very hard to keep the emotion at bay. As he described the ways the girl had been hurt he simultaneously felt a surge of anger and a tide of sadness._

"_So nothing much then." Quinn said with a wry smile as she tried to lighten the mood but her attempt failed. Instead she asked a question that had been on her mind since she first woke up and her mind was filled with a blind panic._

"_What happened to Finn?" It was clear this time that Leroy wasn't going to be the one to answer as he just couldn't find the words. Eventually Sam stepped up and answered bluntly, "He's dead Quinn."_

_A silence filled the room as everyone waited to see her reaction and they were slightly disappointed when all she did was give a small nod of acceptance. Sam decided that he was on a roll and so decided to mention the next issue._

"_Quinn the Police have been hanging around and asking us all questions. They have arrested Sebastian and they are going to want to talk to you because you did stab Finn." As he finished talking, Brittany started to cry in the seat next to Quinn's bed._

"_I don't want to lose you Quinn." Brittany explained and Quinn reached out to take her hand without jostling her broken bones too much. _

"_You won't Brit, the Police will understand that it is self defence." Quinn said confidently. _

"_And besides the orange of the prison clothes would clash horribly with my pink hair and nobody will want to see that." The joke lightened the mood and even managed to draw a chuckle out of Brittany._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

A crying couple wandered close to where Quinn sat and so she stopped talking temporarily so that they didn't think she was crazy. When they were safely out of earshot she started to talk again.

"You know Dave, Sebastian's trial was really something else. I got lucky because the Prosecution Service decided that there wasn't any point in taking me to court and wasting public money because my actions were clearly in self defence." Quinn paused thoughtfully for a moment then added, "Also the fact that the coroner said that the bullet was the cause of death so they would be trying me for assault of a man who died."

"The trial actually started two or so months ago and it finished today. That was why I came here. I wanted to tell you the verdict."

Quinn took a look back to her car in the distance and to the small shape of Rachel waiting patiently in the passenger seat. It made her faintly smile and she said, "He was found guilty Dave and not just of the murder of Finn but for your murder as well. The prosecution really did their homework because they also found him guilty of four others murders. One was that guy who ran that coffee shop that we first met Sebastian in and the other was that girl back in high school that hit on you in front of him. Two were from before he met us."

A wave of guilt washed over Quinn and she averted her eyes from her girlfriend in shame. "We should have realised Dave. We should have stopped him." For a long time she said nothing as she tried to process her guilt. Eventually she decided that she would have to work through her feelings at some other time because she didn't want to keep Rachel waiting too long.

"Well anyway...because it was six counts of murder he was given life in prison with no chance of release."

She let the relief that she felt at those words chip away at the pain that had been living inside her for a long time now and already she felt a little lighter. Ever since she had had the pleasure of watching Sebastian being taken away in handcuffs her heart had been healing a little bit more every moment.

"I hope you're at peace...now that you've had justice done. You deserve it more than anyone I have ever known." Quinn got up and could feel that the movement had drawn Rachel's eyes to her. She walked forward, making sure not to stand on any part of the ground directly above Dave and rested a hand on the cool stone of the grave marker.

"Sleep well old friend."

With that she pressed a kiss to her fingers and pressed her fingers to the letters of his name then she walked back to Rachel.

Rachel saw her walking back and got out of the car to meet her halfway. As soon as Rachel was in arms reach, Quinn pulled the brunette into a hug and buried her face into Rachel's neck.

"His murderer has been brought to justice Quinn, he's at peace." Rachel comforted her girlfriend as she ran a soothing hand up and down Quinn's back. Quinn simply nodded her head in response and revelled in the felling of all the tension she had been carrying since she lost her best friend leave her body.

Despite the fact that Rachel hadn't been present for the whole of the trial as she was only a witness to Finn's death, she still knew about everything that had happened. Whilst Quinn was still in the hospital she had told Rachel, Sam and Brittany everything that had happened that had led up to 'the incident' and what had sent her to Lima. She finally had felt ready to open up about it when she knew that Sebastian was in custody and she felt a little freer when she was able to get everything off her chest.

Quinn and Rachel pulled apart after a little while and Rachel led Quinn to the car by the hand.

"Lets go home."

* * *

"Quinn there is a terrifying looking man parked in front of the house, smoking something that I don't think is a cigarette. What do I do?" Rachel's panicked voice chirped down the phone the following Saturday.

Quinn was instantly on red alert and advised, "OK just park down the street and wait for me to get back and we can decide what to do together."

"Quinn hurry." Rachel pleaded before hanging up.

"Sorry man I have to go." The newly reinstated blonde girl told Mike and she was soon speeding away from her friends house.

She decided it was best to drive past the house to catch a glimpse of this guy before finding Rachel and when she saw him she breathed a sigh of relief. Rachel spotted Quinn as she pulled up outside the house from her space parked a few houses away and she automatically got out when Quinn did.

They both reached the bald man at the same time who snubbed out the pot he was smoking as soon as Quinn got close.

"What the hell have you done to your hair Quinnie?" The tattooed man asked as he pulled the young girl in for a hug.

Rachel was looking gob-smacked at the way that Quinn was letting the man hug her and so Quinn put her out of her misery. "Rachel this is Tony Carter my good friend and Tony this is my girlfriend Rachel Berry."

Despite being massively shocked Rachel was nothing if not polite and so immediately reached out to shake his hand but still could say nothing.

"I think she's still processing should we go inside?" Quinn offered, leading the way.

Once settled on the sofa Tony was able to properly scold Quinn for not calling him and telling him what had happened in Westerville but then they were able to just catch up. Quinn had been surprised that Russell hadn't informed Tony of what had happened as her Dad had been at the hospital the day it had happened but it turned out that the two men were actually not that close they had just teamed up when Quinn had needed them. Rachel was just happy to listen as they spoke and chipped in occasionally.

The real excitement occurred when Hiram came home and froze in the door way. "Is this a burglary? Are you two hostages?" He muttered with wide eyes.

After they were properly introduced, Tony was invited to stay for dinner which he happily accepted.

"Can't turn down free food right Quinnie?" He asked good naturedly.

"Damn straight." Quinn agreed.

Sam and Leroy had much the same reaction as Hiram when they came home and Brittany just asked if she could rub Tony's head for luck. After the confusion was settled everyone was interested in hearing some stories of Quinn from the fight club that Tony still ran.

"They came in looking like they were from West Side Story and were about to start clicking their fingers as they fought and I thought that at the very least it would be fun to watch them getting their asses kicked." Tony was telling the story of Quinn and Dave's first fight at his bar.

"I can't believe you just made a West Side Story reference." Rachel exclaimed starting to like this man more and more.

"I am named for it so it was my duty to at least watch it." Tony explained with a smile which Rachel returned.

"So how did she do on her first fight?" Sam asked enthusiastically.

Quinn groaned and spoke before Tony could to try to make it sound better. "She got in one lucky punch and I went down."

"Not the only time Lana had you on your back." Tony added with a wink and Quinn saw that Rachel's face fell.

"He's joking Rach, I never slept with Lana. Hell she probably would have killed me during if I had and plus she was straight." Quinn hurried to explain and Rachel looked to Tony for confirmation.

"Sorry kid, I was just messing with you." Tony apologized but Rachel quickly forgave him when he started talking more about musicals.

When the end of the night came Quinn walked him out to the car and he gave her a parting hug.

"You know I am always here for you if you need me right?" Tony said in the gentlest tone of voice she had ever heard him use.

"I know."

* * *

"I just thought of something." Sam spun around suddenly with a smile on his face. He made sure to put down the knife he was using to cut the vegetables for dinner the next day before he walked over to his sisters and slung his arms over their shoulders.

The two blonde girls looked at him expectantly as they waited for him to carry on and he gave them a look that said that his discovery was obvious. "We actually look like triplets now!"

Everyone smiled and Sam and Brittany looked at Quinn's newly blonde hair. It had taken some time and a lot of hair washing for the permanent pink dye to come out but once it was gone her natural blonde shone through and she found herself feeling strangely proud of the resemblance she now bore to her siblings. People also gave her less dirty looks now although she was still wearing her punk clothes so she wasn't completely spared of people's judgement. There was no way in hell she was giving her clothes up.

"Yeah but I'm still the best looking one." Quinn stated but quickly back pedalled with one look from the now highly hormonal Brittany. "I mean out of me and Sam. Brittany is clearly the most attractive and we're just fighting for second place." Quinn didn't want to be seen as a suck up but Brittany's mood swings were getting intense lately and she really didn't want to be on the end of a fit of shouting followed by a shower of tears. It was in all of their best interests that Brittany was kept happy.

"Damn straight she is the most attractive. Sorry Fabray but you don't even compare." Said the number one reason that Brittany was happy most of the time and the person who was keeping them from suffering from hourly bursts of crazy.

Brittany smiled as she kissed her girlfriend on the side of the head when the Latina drew close enough. Sam pretended to fake gag but neither of the girls cared.

_FLASHBACK_

_When Quinn had finally been settled into a room the doctor had told the Berry's and the Evans' that it would be a while until she woke up due to the pain she had experienced and the sedatives they had given her. As they all found themselves with some free time, Brittany decided to make her way to Santana's room because despite the fact that they were not really together any more, the blonde still felt the need to be held by her old girlfriend. Santana had been taken away by a separate ambulance in order to treat her foot as she had kicked a door and injured it. Brittany knew it was unlikely that Santana would actually want to see her but her feet carried her to that particular hospital room._

_She tapped on the open door quietly and Santana's eyes swung to hers and went from being filled with surprise to being filled with anger. "What are you doing here?" Santana asked, trying to inject her voice with venom but failing miserably. She never could be mean to Brittany._

"_I wanted to see if you were OK. How is your leg doing?" Brittany asked softly from the doorway, not wanting to enter in further and intrude on the brunette._

"_The Doc said that its just a fracture but they still have to set it. It should be healed in 6-8 weeks." Santana informed Brittany without looking directly at her._

"_San..." Brittany started and took a step into the room._

"_Don't Brittany."_

_Brittany retreated a step and nodded. After a few awkward moments of silence, Brittany whispered, "I hope you feel better San." Then she quietly walked out._

_END OF FLASHBACK_

It had been hard for the couple. Brittany had visited Santana a few more times whilst the brunette had still been in the hospital and they had eventually progressed to a point where they could sit in the same room and neither of them felt like crying.

When Santana got out, Brittany went to visit Santana at her house and despite the cold shoulder from Mrs Lopez they had managed to move on and start having a little small talk and things were going well.

Until Brittany unthinkingly rested her hands protectively over her stomach and everything came rushing back to Santana. She screamed until Brittany ran out of the house and then as soon as the blonde was gone she cried into her mother's shoulder for the rest of the night.

Brittany had really hurt Santana and it took a while for the brunette to even agree to try to work through it but she did agree because Brittany was the love of her life. Things weren't perfect yet and Puck and Santana's relationship was never going to be mended but as Brittany started to need Santana more when her pregnancy progressed the Latina found her drawing closer to her girlfriend. She started to find herself willing to forgive especially when Brittany told her the full story of what happened that night. That she had been too drunk to know what she was doing.

It didn't make anything right but it made it easier to forgive Brittany.

Rachel had walked into the kitchen just after Santana and was looking particularly exasperated as she burrowed into Quinn's arms.

"How did it go baby?" Quinn asked softly and Rachel simply grumbled into her chest and refused to surface so she looked over to Santana for the answer.

The Latina had a similar look on her face as Rachel did as she replied, "It was a nightmare, Berry couldn't agree with me on anything so we bought nothing."

"Are you somehow trying to blame this on me Santana because I was not the one coming up with unreasonable suggestions!" Rachel scolded loudly as she finally pulled out of Quinn's embrace and took a few steps towards her shopping counterpart with her arms folded.

Santana had the good sense to gulp and back off a little because if she started an argument with Rachel it was a sure fire way to set off Brittany and nobody wanted to be on the end of one of her mood swings. When happy she was the sweetest person on the face of the planet but when upset and hormonal she was the devil incarnate.

"My suggestions were very reasonable Rachel." Santana stated calmly as she examined her immaculate fingernails and secretly enjoyed winding the smaller girl up.

"You can't buy a princess bed Santana!" Rachel shouted with exasperation.

"I don't see why not." Santana responded still looking bored but trying desperately to hide a grin as the other people in the kitchen apart from Rachel started to smile as they understood what was going on.

"Firstly the baby needs a crib and won't need a bed for a couple of years and secondly and I think most importantly, the baby is a boy!" Rachel stressed.

"You worried it'll turn him gay Berry?" Santana asked unimpressed by Rachel's arguments whereas the triplets, even Brittany, had started to chuckle and went back to cooking.

Some vague indignant spluttering was the only response that Rachel gave.

* * *

Perhaps it was wrong that they were celebrating but it was what they all needed. It was finally over with, Sebastian was in jail, Finn wouldn't hurt them any more and they were free to be normal kids, at least for a little while.

It was Rachel who had suggested a gathering but it was Quinn who had specifically suggested a Barbecue. Rachel wasn't too excited at the prospect of grilling up excessively large amounts of meat but the excitement in Quinn's eyes was undeniable and she found herself eventually relenting.

They decided that it was best to invite all of their friends from the glee club and they even decided to invite Blaine. The reason for that was that they were having a celebration of having Sebastian out of their lives and Blaine was massively influenced by the boy as well.

_FLASHBACK_

"_What is he doing here?" Quinn asked sharply, starting to get up off the hospital bed however Rachel gently pushed her back down._

"_He helped us Quinn." Rachel explained as Blaine shuffled his feet, unsure of whether to leave or not._

"_You said he was with Sebastian when we were in the stands the other day." Quinn furthered, dragging her eyes away from the intruder and searching the brown eyes of her girlfriend instead._

"_I was and I even helped him to kidnap Sam and Brittany..." Blaine started and looked incredibly ashamed. Quinn made another, more serious attempt to get up but this time it was the searing pain in her ribs and not Rachel that stopped her._

_She flopped back down onto the bed and huffed out, "You better explain Anderson or I swear..." The pink haired girl let the threat trail off because specifics weren't necessary._

_The boy quickly nodded and carried on, "I did help him but only because I thought he loved me and I loved him. He charmed me and manipulated me into helping him and Finn but I was never happy with what I was doing. All I had to was chloroform Brittany and bring her to the auditorium but when I met you before doing it I knew I couldn't go through with it."_

_Blaine looked as if he was about to break out into tears and Quinn found her rage quickly dwindling and even Rachel went over and rested a hand on his shoulder. _

_He smiled at her and then continued, "I went and told Sebastian that I wouldn't do it but he convinced me like he always did and I..." The tears started for real this time and Rachel was quick to hand him a tissue and continue the story._

"_When Santana and I were trying to get in he showed us an entrance to the school through a side door that led to the catwalk in the auditorium. If he hadn't have done that then Sebastian would have gotten away." _

_Quinn found herself torn as to how she should feel about the Wrestler because he was the one who kidnapped Brittany but on the other hand Sebastian might have been free if it wasn't for him. Free to take another shot at Quinn or the people that she loved._

"_Its OK Blaine. You helped put Sebastian away so...you're alright in my eyes." Quinn told the boy who smiled in relief at her words. _

"_I'm going to hug you now." Blaine stated as he started to move forward and before she could protest he already had his arms around her._

_All Quinn could think about was how much he reminded her of a male version of Rachel and because of that she found it really hard to be angry at him._

_END OF FLASHBACK _

As Blaine, Kurt and Mercedes arrived together, Quinn took a moment to step away from the grill to let Blaine hug her. He was a very touchy person and he liked to hug everyone and because he reminded her so much of Rachel she allowed him every hug he wanted.

Of course Santana had no problem in denying the boy and snorted at Quinn's weakness as she walked past with a glass of juice for Brittany.

"Like your any better San." Quinn called as Blaine released her and she went back to flipping burgers.

As the trio walked away after each of the three of them gave Rachel a hug, the brunette wrapped her arms around Quinn from behind. She made sure to bury her face in Quinn's back so that she didn't have to see or smell the cooking meat.

Quinn signalled to Sam and passed him her apron so that he could take up her position at the grill. He had been dying to be in charge of the cooking as he said he had, 'a perfect way to cook chicken legs' that he stated they all 'needed' to try. Quinn was just glad to spend time with Rachel. If there is one thing a tragic experience like what happened in Westerville can teach a person is that you have to treasure the little moments because you don't know when the people you care about might be gone.

Quinn dropped a kiss on to Rachel's forehead as Rachel turned her big brown eyes on her and asked something that had been on her mind for a long time but she hadn't known the right way to bring it up. Now she felt she had to bring it up before Quinn closed her emotional doors on the whole ordeal.

"Quinn, why were you so willing to put yourself in danger, to die, that night in Westerville?" They hadn't really talked about it mainly because Quinn thought that Rachel already understood as well as the fact that her actions were borne of painful emotions.

"I had to save them Rach. I didn't save Dave and for the longest time that tore me up inside. I couldn't make the same mistake twice. Please tell me you understand?" Quinn begged softly as they got lost in their own little world, not paying much attention to the other people stood on the Berry property.

"I do Quinn, I understand. It just scared me how willing you were to throw you're life away." Rachel admitted quietly. "Would you ever do something like that again?"

"Rachel I'm free of my guilt now. Would I still do everything I could to save someone I love? Of course. The difference now is that I wouldn't do it out of some crazy need for redemption."

"Don't worry Berry, you're stuck with me." Quinn added with a big grin.

"Do you promise?" Rachel asked with a soft smile on her face

"I promise."

* * *

**A/N: I really hoped that I freaked you all out with the character death warning at the start and then it turned out to only be Finn. To anyone who skipped down here as soon as they read the warning...you spoil all my fun!**

**Anyway, thank you to all of the readers who have stuck this story out to the end. I hope you have enjoyed it because I have certainly enjoyed writing it. Thank you for all of your support :D**

**Until next time...**


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